The decision from Brisbane star Joe Daniher to call time on his career following the Lions' premiership-winning season has left the club to weigh up whether to make a splash of their own this off-season in a bid to replace their 2023 and 2024 leading goalkicker in the trade period.
Daniher's exit opens a large hole in Chris Fagan's front half, with the sharpshooting veteran booting 58 goals and assisting a further 16 this year alone.
Rookie Logan Morris rose to the occasion in his first year at AFL level, while Eric Hipwood has proven to be a threat, but both players are likely to require a third attacking teammate to aid their flag defence.
The Lions have ex-Hawthorn tall Brandon Ryan and youngster Luke Lloyd waiting in the wings, while key defender Darcy Gardiner could again be swung forward to play a role in Fagan's forward line.
Those options won't come close to filling Daniher's shoes however, with Brisbane potentially looking to the open market given the near-seven-figure gap in their salary cap that has now opened.
We take a look at five players Brisbane could target to replace Daniher this off-season.
5. Nathan Kreuger
Another cheap option that will at least allow the Lions to shift some of their salary and make a more desirable move next year, avoiding any rushed trade to find a big-name player to replace Daniher in 2024.
Kreuger is off-contract and could land at Brisbane as a delisted free agent, or at the very least in a trade deal that would see the Lions part with a late draft pick.
The Collingwood tall can play across all three lines of the field, having shown an ability to feature as an athletic forward target who can also hold a role in the ruck.
Potentially needing to find a third AFL club, the ex-Geelong recruit might be an astute bargain buy for Brisbane.
