AFTER a shaky beginning to the 2025 AFLW season – slipping to ninth on the ladder after Round 5 – the Brisbane Lions engineered one of the competition’s strongest turnarounds, re-emerging as a genuine premiership threat.
A mid-season overhaul of their game plan proved decisive.
Moving away from a reliance on fast surges and forward bursts, the Lions adopted a possession-focused style with greater control of the ball and a more disciplined defensive press.
The results were immediate: during a six-game winning streak through the middle and later rounds, Brisbane lifted its marking efficiency, controlled more uninterrupted chains, and significantly reduced opposition entries and scoring.
The early-season high point arrived in Round 2 with a resounding 70-point demolition of Fremantle.
Brisbane piled on 17.3 (105), marking the highest score in club history and the third-highest total ever recorded in the AFLW.
Performances of that calibre helped propel the Lions up the ladder and gave them vital momentum heading into September.
When finals arrived, Brisbane carried that form with conviction. In the opening final at Princes Park, the Lions overpowered Melbourne after a shaky first half, led by a superb Ally Anderson performance.
Her 28 disposals and two final-quarter goals proved instrumental in guiding Brisbane into the preliminary final.
They then produced a commanding display against Carlton, blowing the game open with a dominant third quarter.
Ruby Svarc kicked a career-best four goals as the Lions surged to a 10.7 (67) to 5.2 (32) victory, booking their fourth straight AFLW Grand Final and their third consecutive appearance in the league’s biggest match.
Facing a North Melbourne side chasing a perfect season, Brisbane were outplayed in a 9.2 (56) to 2.4 (16) defeat before a sold-out Ikon Park. Despite the disappointment, the campaign was widely viewed as a success.
With a strong core of emerging talent, a refined tactical identity and proven match-winners across the field, Brisbane head towards 2026 with genuine optimism.
