It’s hard to predict exactly how the Brisbane Lions’ 2013 AFL season will be remembered in years to come.

Although the Lions finished with an identical win/loss record (10-12) to the one from 2012, most would agree that the team took some real steps forward in terms of their development – particularly in the second half of the season.

A near faultless pre-season campaign, which culminated in the merged Club’s first ever NAB Cup triumph, gave fans every reason to reassess their own expectations on the eve of the season proper.

But that renewed sense of optimism would last only a couple of weeks, until the Western Bulldogs gave the Club a rude wake-up call in Round 1 at Etihad Stadium.

That loss almost single-handedly took the wind out of the Lions’ sails.

Any momentum gained over summer had suddenly come to a complete halt, and the Lions battled their way to just three wins from the first half of the season.

The first half wasn’t without its highlights, however, with the Club’s Melbourne-based fans treated to one of the upsets of the season at Etihad Stadium when the Lions overcame the odds to defeat Essendon by 10 points.

On that occasion, the Lions celebrated the 10-year anniversary of their historic hat-trick of premiership by wearing a commemorative 3-Peat Guernsey, and Brent Staker returned for his first senior AFL match in more than 18 months.

As it turned out, Staker proved the hero when he kicked the sealing goal from an almost impossible angle in the final minute of play.

A better script couldn’t have been written…

That was, until Round 13 when the Lions produced their greatest ever come-from-behind victory against Geelong at the Gabba.

The Cats led by as many as 52 points late in the third term, before being reined in by the Lions who booted eight goals in a barnstorming final term – the last of which came from the boot of 200-gamer Ash McGrath after the siren for the win.

Another fairytale was complete.

That win over Geelong would serve to kick-start the Lions’ season, and they would go on to win seven of their final 11 matches to finish agonisingly close to qualifying for September after Essendon were sensationally disqualified from the Finals race.

The second half of the season wasn’t all smooth sailing, however, with some significant off-field matters sometimes overshadowing the team’s inspired on-field performances.

The biggest news came after the team’s Round 20 loss to Richmond when the Lions Board advised Senior Coach Michael Voss that his contract would not be renewed beyond 2013.

Voss expectedly departed the Club immediately, with Senior Assistant Mark Harvey taking over the interim role for the final three rounds.

While the topic remains a popular one for discussion, the Lions players were determined not to let it distract them from the job at hand, and proceeded to win two of their final three matches under Harvey – the sole loss coming at the hands of Geelong by just one point in a Simonds Stadium heart-breaker.

The 2013 season will probably best be remembered as a roller-coaster journey, as it featured incredible highs, extreme lows, and most probably thought it could have been even more exciting had it gone just a little bit longer.

But with preparations for 2014 now the key focus for the Club, it’s hard not to get excited about what lies ahead for this young group.

Vice-Captain Tom Rockliff summed it up perfectly following the team’s final match of the season.

“Exciting times ahead for the Brisbane Lions. Strong people survive and this team is strong!” he tweeted.