Confident Lions aim for record

BRISBANE is unashamedly gunning for a mark set by Lions legends in the club’s glory days.

The Lions launched their 2020 AFL season this week and have the all-time membership record of 30,941 from 2004 in their sights.

Brisbane was coming off a hat-trick of flags from 2001-03 and aiming for a fourthstraight premiership only for the Leigh Matthews-coached, Michael Voss-captained Lions to lose the 2004 grand final to Port Adelaide.

The Lions currently have 28,333 members ahead of the Round 1 clash with Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday, March 22, an increase of 6000 compared with this time last year.

And they want to reach 31,000 members by Saturday, March 28 when the Gabba hosts an AFLW/AFL doubleheader against North Melbourne.

Brisbane CEO Greg Swann said the club wanted to build on the 2019 season when the Lions roared up the ladder and into the finals and the longterm goal was to reach 40,000 members. “Over the past three years our membership has steadily increased, so we wanted to be ambitious with our next goal by breaking our overall membership record,” Swann said.

“In 2020 we want to start a new era at the Brisbane Lions by encouraging a whole new generation of supporters to sign on as members.

“Our success on-field in the men’s 2019 season attracted a new supporter base to the Gabba. We hope they return this season with a membership in hand.’’

Brisbane senior coach Chris Fagan says more members would translate into a more intimidating venue for visiting teams at the Gabba.

“If we want to become a great team, we need to play in a finals-like environment on a regular basis,” Fagan said.

GREG DAVIS