A monumental year for the Brisbane Lions. One for the record books with 17 wins and four Gabba sellouts.
Celebrated with an amazing night rewarding outstanding achievement. Here's how it all went down:
10:20pm - Lachie Neale is the Merrett-Murray Medallist for 2022 - Club Champion!
Brisbane Lions midfielder Lachie Neale has taken out the Merrett-Murray Medal to cap off a stellar 2022 season.
Neale was crowned as the Lions best and fairest with 66 votes ahead of fellow midfielder Hugh McCluggage (59 votes) with defender Brandon Starcevich (51 votes) finishing third.
The 29-year-old, who won the award in 2019 and 2020, created Club history in front of a large crowd at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday night.
He joins Dayne Zorko (five), Simon Black, Michael Voss and Jonathon Brown (three) as the only Lions to win the Merrett-Murray Medal three times or more.
Neale started the night as the red-hot favourite, with the likelihood of him winning reinforced after finishing runner-up in the Brownlow Medal just a fortnight ago.
The standout individual season saw Neale average 30.1 disposals, 7.3 clearances and 4.5 tackles per game in 2022.
As a result, the All-Australian midfielder finished 2nd in the league for disposals with 749 and 2nd in clearances with an impressive 191.
His biggest game statistically was in Brisbane’s win against Essendon in Round 2, where he dominated with 41 disposals, six marks and two goals.
Many rated the midfielder’s season as his best yet, or at least on par with his 2020 season, which saw him become a Brownlow Medallist.
10:15pm - Hugh McCluggage is the Nigel Lappin Trophy Winner - Second place
Hugh McCluggage received the Nigel Lappin Trophy as the runner-up in the Best and Fairest, capping off one of the best seasons of his career.
The 24-year-old finished with 59 votes after starring consistently on the wing which also saw him named in the extended All-Australian squad.
McCluggage’s goal-kicking ability from the midfield was again on display this year as he finished with 20 majors.
The former South Warrnambool junior racked up a career-best 33 disposals against St Kilda in Round 13, and an equal career-best four goals against both the Eagles and Giants.
Overall McCluggage averaged 24.7 disposals, 5.3 marks and 4.8 tackles.
10:12pm - Brandon Starcevich is our Alistair Lynch Trophy Winner - Third place
A top-three finish from Brandon Starcevich will come as little surprise to many, with the defender beyond deserving of the Alastair Lynch Trophy.
Starcevich received 51 votes to finish just eight beyond runner-up Hugh McCluggage.
The 23-year was rarely beaten this season despite having the tough task of taking the opposition’s most dangerous forwards on a weekly basis.
Not only did he shut down his opponents, Starcevich still found a way to often find plenty of the football himself - including a season-high 26 disposals against Essendon.
10:00pm - Lachie Neale the recipient of the Finals Player of the year award
Lachie Neale has been rewarded for his dominant September form and is the deserving winner of the 2022 Finals Player Award.
The award recognises the Lions player who has polled the most votes across the three finals with the same criteria as the Merrett-Murray medal voting system.
Neale averaged 28.6 disposals through the Finals, highlighted by his phenomenal performance in Brisbane’s heart stopping win over Richmond.
The 29-year-old collected 39 touches, a career-high 15 clearances at 95% game time as he put his side on his back in an inspirational performance.
Finishing second in the Brownlow medal race and collecting another All-Australian blazer, Neale is the hot favourite to collect this year’s Merrett-Murray Medal.
9:50pm - Lachie Neale wins the inaugural youi Gamechanger Awards, voted by the fans each week.
9:47pm - Jimmy Tunstill & Ryan Lester joint winner of the Neville Fallon Reserves Best & Fairest
Jimmy Tunstill and Ryan Lester have tied for the 2022 Neville Fallon Reserves Best and Fairest Award.
Presented to the duo by VFL Head Coach, Mitch Hahn and Neville’s son, Michael Fallon, Tunstill and Lester both enjoyed terrific seasons.
Made even more impressive given it’s his first year on an AFL list, Tunstill averaged 19.1 disposals and became a damaging utility in the VFL, playing across the forward line, wing and midfield.
The 19-year-old was rewarded with a debut in Round 15 and played three AFL games.
Lester provided invaluable experience to a young side while playing some exciting footy himself.
The 30-year-old averaged 18.8 disposals and 5.9 marks, with arguably his best performance coming in the Lions thrilling Semi-Final victory over Carlton where he collected 24 touches, nine marks and five tackles while spreading his time across the backline, ruck and midfield.
9:42pm - Brandon Starcevich locks away the Shaun Hart Trademark Player of the year Award
Brandon Starcevich has been awarded the Shaun Hart Trademark Player of the Year award for 2022.
The Trademark Player of the Year recognises the Lions player who best exudes competitiveness both out on the field and in their week-to-week preparation.
Presented with his award by namesake, Shaun Hart, Starcevich was the ultimate competitor in 2022 and one of Brisbane’s most reliable players.
The 23-year-old lost just six contested defensive efforts this season, a testament to his competitiveness.
Tasked with the most dangerous opposition small forward every week, the 23-year-olds strong season flew under the radar to some, averaging 14.9 disposals and 4.5 marks a game.
9:35pm - Hugh McCluggage is the 2022 winner of the Marcus Ashcroft Most Professional Player Award
Hugh McCluggage’s star continues to rise, with the classy midfielder being awarded the 2022 Marcus Ashcroft Most Professional Players Award.
The Most Professional Player award is presented in recognition of the player who upholds the player values and standards both on and off the field – be it at training or in meetings.
The player endeavours to continue to develop themselves in a professional manner.
Like the awards namesake, McCluggage epitomises what it means to be a professional athlete and continues to set the standard for the team in terms of commitment to training and overall attitude and his 2022 campaign reflects that.
Off the field, Hugh continues to make a valuable contribution to both the Club and community groups and has been part of the leadership group since 2020.
On-field, 2022 has been another standout year for McCluggage, with the wingman averaging 24.7 disposals and 3.7 clearances across 24 matches.
He played his best performance of the season in Round 18 against GWS where he kicked four goals and collected 29 disposals and eight marks.
He topped off another impressive season by polling a career-best 14 Brownlow votes.
9:09pm - Darcy Wilmot takes out Rookie Of The Year
He’s become a crowd favourite within just three senior games, but Darcy Wilmot’s impact on and off-field has won him the 2022 Rookie of the Year Award.
To be eligible for the award, a player may not have played more than ten senior AFL games before the start of the season and must be in their first or second year.
The 18-year-old became the first Brisbane Lion to debut in an AFL Final and was the first player since 1941 to play his first two career games in two winning finals.
A testament to his character, Wilmot never appeared overwhelmed by the occasion, looking comfortable with football in hand and exciting Lions fans with his rebound from half back and attack on the ball.
Besides his celebrations in the Lions Finals wins, the highlight of Wilmot’s year came in the Clubs Elimination Final win over Richmond where he kicked his first AFL goal to put his side in front late in the second quarter.
8:50pm - Craig Starcevich and Emma Zielke inducted into Brisbane Lions life membership
The Brisbane Lions awarded Life Membership to two of its leading AFLW stalwarts at the Club’s awards night on Friday – Craig Starcevich and Emma Zielke.
Starcevich is arguably the pillar of the Lions AFLW team, holding the Head Coach position since the team’s inception in 2017, leading them to continued success, including 3 grand finals appearances and one Premiership.
Prior to taking on the role, he notched up 144 games playing AFL level for Collingwood and the Brisbane Bears where he played 20 games and kicked 16 goals before hanging up the boots in 1995.
He later played a pivotal role in the Lions famed Three-Peat era as Physical Performance Manager.
He is the only Brisbane Lions coach to be involved in all four Premiership wins. In 2022 he became the first AFLW coach to reach the 50-game milestone.
Starcevich is wildly respected both within the Club and in the AFL/AFLW community.
Equally as well-respected, few AFLW players have made quite the impact in the league as Emma Zielke.
Beginning her AFL career at age 19, Zielke was instrumental in the forming of the Coorparoo Football Club establishing a women’s team to play in the QAWFL, going on to be their inaugural captain in 2013 and later going on to captain them to a premiership, kicking a post-siren goal to win the game.
She went on to be awarded the league’s best and fairest in both 2014 and 2015.
Zielke was signed by the Lions as a priority access player in 2016 and was named the inaugural Captain ahead of Season 1 in 2017, a position she held until retiring in 2021 as a Premiership Captain.
She enjoyed a decorated playing career at the Lions, clocking up 41 games, three grand final appearances and a flag.
Since retiring, Emma became the first woman to sign on as an Assistant Coach at the Lions in 2021 and this year was awarded a position in the Women’s Coaching Acceleration Program.
8:16pm - Oscar McInerney voted as Players' Player for 2022
Oscar McInerney has won this year’s Player’s Player Award.
Each week, players were asked to vote on who they felt best reflected the values they strive for as a group, with great emphasis placed on acts that benefitted the team as a whole and not necessarily the individual.
The ‘Big O’ was deemed such, with the popular ruckman now a two-time winner of the award.
Often applauded for his selflessness and team-first approach, McInerney embodies the values within the four walls of the Club and is a deserving recipient.
8:10pm - Our Club debutants for 2022
The Lions blooded four fresh faces in 2022, with Kai Lohmann, Jimmy Tunstill, Darcy Wilmot and Carter Michael all getting their first taste of senior football this season.
Michael drew comparisons to Daniel Rich when he was first drafted and showed why in his Round 17 debut against Essendon.
The second-year player looked comfortable across half-back and demonstrated his penetrating left foot with a classy goal late in the game to keep his side in touch with an in-form Bombers side.
Kai Lohmann leapt out of the blocks with explosive form in the VFL, kicking nine goals in three weeks (including a five-goal haul against North) before being called into Chris Fagan’s side against Collingwood in Round 5.
Presented with his guernsey from AFL immortal, Leigh Matthews, the first year forward looked lively alongside Charlie Cameron and impressed with his pressure.
An ankle sprain ruled the youngster out for six weeks in just his second game, but his form towards the back end of the VFL season will have many Lions fans excited.
Similar excitement can be felt about Jimmy Tunstill’s year, who averaged 19.1 disposals in the VFL with the ability to play through the midfield, wing, or half-forward line.
The 19-year-old earnt his call up in a ‘trial by fire’ against reigning premiers Melbourne in Round 15 and showed glimpses of his skill with some classy efforts.
8:00pm - Thank you Mitch Robbo
After 147 games across eight seasons with the Brisbane Lions, Mitch Robinson has called time on his AFL career.
Robinson, who joined the Club from Carlton, became one of not only the Lions’ but the game’s most colourful characters and fan favourites.
The 33-year finishes his career with a resume to be proud of, including a joint Club Best and Fairest at the Lions in 2015, twice including in the extended All-Australian squad, Player’s Player award in 2019 as well as the Shaun Hart Trademark Player of the Year.
Robinson hangs up his boots with a total of 247 games with the Blues and Lions as well as 129 goals.
The Brisbane Lions are grateful for the contribution Robinson has made to the Club on and off the field and wish him and his family all of the best for the future.
2022 Club Champion Key Timings
From 6:30pm - Red carpet arrivals on Instagram Stories
7:20pm - Main event commences
7:33pm - Acknowledgement To Country
7:40pm - Address from Chairperson, Andrew Wellington
7:50pm - Address by Senior Coach, Chris Fagan
8:00pm - Retirement announcements
8:05pm - Debutant acknowledgements
8:08pm - Player's Player of the Year Award
8:12pm - Rounds 1-4 voting for Merrett-Murray Medal
8:17pm - Main meal break
8:40pm - Rounds 5-8 voting for Merrett-Murray Medal
8:44pm - Life membership announcements
8:54pm - Round 9-13 voting for Merrett-Murray Medal
8:59pm - Rookie of the Year Award
9:03pm - Rounds 15-17 voting for Merrett-Murray Medal
9:09pm - Dessert break
9:24pm - Round 18-20 voting for Merrett-Murray Medal
9:28pm - Most Professional Player Award
9:32pm - Rounds 21-23 voting for Merrett-Murray Medal
9:36pm - Shaun Hart Trademark Player of the Year Award
9:40pm - Neville Fallon Brisbane Lions Reserves Best and Fairest Award
9:44pm - Fan-voted youi Game Change Award
9:52pm - Short break
10:04pm - 2022 Finals Player Award
10:12pm - Alastair Lynch Trophy for Third Place
10:18pm - Nigel Lappin Trophy for Runner Up
10:23pm - Merrett-Murray Medal Winner
10:30pm - Livestream to conclude
