Brisbane begin their quest for three in a row when they face the Bulldogs at the Gabba during Opening Round on March 7. The moment carries genuine weight. Brisbane are the two-time reigning AFL premiers, having won the 2024 Grand Final by 60 points and the 2025 Grand Final by 47 points. Now they stand on the threshold of something rarer still.
While only six teams have done it in V/AFL history, Lyon is tipping Brisbane to win back-to-back-to-back flags. The Lions possess the talent and infrastructure to do it; Lyon is certain that the Lions have gotten better this season by adding the likes of Oscar Allen and Sam Draper during the trade period. The midfield runs deep. The forward line has teeth. Chris Fagan's system, already battle-tested through two flags, remains intact.
Yet the magnitude of the challenge cannot be overstated. The season will feature 18 clubs and run from 5 March to 26 September, comprising a 23-match home-and-away season over 25 rounds, with a five-week finals series featuring the top ten clubs to occur for the first time. This expanded finals system creates uncertainty Brisbane might once have exploited. More teams now qualify for September football. The margins that separated the eighth from the ninth place finisher suddenly matter far less.
The competitive landscape itself has shifted. Contenders like Gold Coast, Sydney, Fremantle, Hawthorn, and Geelong are all in the mix, with ladder positions likely to hinge on the finest of margins. Gold Coast's breakout 2025 campaign has been backed by significant recruitment: new weapons, fresh ambition, and a coach in Damien Hardwick hungry to prove doubters wrong. Geelong, stung by that Grand Final loss, remain stable and dangerous. Sydney has made calculated strikes in the market, including landing the formidable Charlie Curnow.
The sceptical case against a three-peat carries logic. History suggests that defending dual premierships represents the hardest mountain to climb; proving you can do it a third consecutive time removes a psychological safety net. Injuries matter as much as skill in September football. Consistency over 25 rounds is a different beast to consistency over finals. The Lions will be hunted by every opposition coach, every rival midfield, every emerging team sensing vulnerability.
Yet there remains a pragmatic case for Brisbane. The Lions only got better in the off-season, bringing in the likes of Oscar Allen who is set to play his first game for the club. Chris Fagan's side is star-studded throughout and has the firepower to outscore any side, particularly at home. The Lions also enter 2026 with a relatively healthy injury list, with most picking them as their early premiership tip. They have also shown the adaptability to evolve. The additions of Allen and Sam Draper are not desperation signings; they are calculated investments that address specific gaps.
The reality sits between extremes. Brisbane enters 2026 as genuine contenders who have earned that status through two seasons of sustained excellence. The Lions are not invincible; no team in the modern AFL is. But neither are they vulnerable in the way a hungrier, newer team might be. They know what it takes. They have proven they can execute under pressure. They have young stars who grow sharper each September.
The season will ultimately turn on questions beyond the Lions' control. Will Gold Coast's promise translate to concrete results, or will they fall short again? Can Geelong finally close out a Grand Final, or will the demons of 2025 linger? Which of the 17 challengers will navigate injury, inconsistency, and the weight of expectation better than the others? The Lions need only control one thing: their own performance week to week, round to round. That they have done before. Doing it three consecutive times would place them among the game's true immortal teams. It would be worth the Suncorp roar.