Harris Andrews and Lachie Neale will co-captain the Brisbane Lions in 2023, with Hugh McCluggage named as vice-captain.

The trio will lead the Club into an exciting new era.

The pair take the reins from outgoing skipper Dayne Zorko who had captained the Lions since 2018.

Andrews is a product of the Queensland talent pathway, learning his craft at the Aspley Football Club on Brisbane’s northside, before joining the Brisbane Lions Academy.

Now regarded as one of the AFLs best defenders, Andrews is a former All-Australian team member in 2019 and 2020, and has won the Brisbane Lions “Most Professional Player” award several times.

He steps into the co-captaincy after five seasons as vice, and said he was excited about taking on a greater leadership role.

“To be identified as the co-captain of this football club is really exciting and something that probably hasn’t sunk in yet, I am extremely proud of it when I look down at the names of those that have gone before me,” he said.

“To feel that I’ve got the trust of the playing group alongside Lachie and the coaching staff, just having that support there is really important.

“To me it gives me confidence to go out and play my game and also instruct the group and make sure we are going really well as a football club.”

Neale’s appointment as co-captain sees him add to an already impressive resume, which includes a long list of achievements headlined by the 2020 Brownlow Medal.

He capped off a stellar 2022 season, taking home a third All-Australian blazer (2019, 2020, 2022) and winning a third Merrett-Murray Medal, as well as placing second in the Brownlow Medal, missing out on first place by a singular vote.

The 29-year-old had a taste of the captaincy last season as stand-in skipper for the Lions’ Round 17 clash against Essendon with Zorko and Andrews both unavailable.