Brisbane keeping familiar look to leadership

THE Lions will stick to what they know best in 2018, with former Hawthorn great Luke Hodge not promoted to the club’s leadership group.

Brisbane will again be led by Dayne Beams, with Dayne Zorko, Stefan Martin, Allen Christensen, Ryan Lester and Harris Andrews forming the rest of the leadership group.

The only change is the loss of Tom Rockliff (Port Adelaide), with Hodge to instead be used in a mentoring role.

Beams said the leadership group were much stronger than last season, as they continued to support the young playing group.

“The last three months since we’ve come back, we’ve worked really well as a collective,” Beams said of the group. “It hasn’t just been myself or someone else, it’s been a real collective approach ... we’ve all been driving standards and driving the culture. Weight in numbers is the best thing you can have at a footy club.”

Beams said that even with the strength of the group, they would turn to four-time premiership winner Hodge for guidance when needed.

“My perception of him before he came here was that he was a courageous player who led by example,” Beams said.