The holes in every club's list ahead of the AFL Draft

Whether in key posts or through a lack of depth, each team still has rostering potholes to fill.

SUBSCRIBER | November 5, 2021 - 12:25pm

Despite being less than a month until the start of the AFL Draft, almost all of the league's 18 clubs will believe their starting line-ups are close to complete

But irrespective of this confidence, every roster still has holes.

Due to the nature of the league, it is almost impossible for two sides to be in exactly the same place, so some of these gaps may be chasmic, whilst others may be wafer-thin.

However, if left unattended, those of any magnitude could lead a side to ruin.

Although fixing an issue can often be more challenging than identifying it, with these holes in mind, every side now has a starting point for sealing ahead of next September.

Brisbane

Even though their metal has proven too malleable across the past pair of Septembers, should you run your eye across the Lions’ current list, you’ll find that there aren’t many discernable weaknesses.

With a defence that contains a dual All-Australian, another one for the future, a duo of the game’s best one-on-one markers, and a viking-esque competitor with a laser for a left foot, Brisbane’s back third is well and truly watertight.

With an offense that contains six names that were able to slot more than 25 majors apiece in 2021, there are no leaks up forward either.

And employing a midfield that is studded with more stars than Paul Stanley’s on-stage outfit, the bases remain loaded for another attempt at a grand slam for the Gabba side next season.

AFL Rd 2 - Brisbane v Fremantle — BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 13: Lachie Neale of the Lions celebrates kicking a goal during the round 2 AFL match between the Brisbane Lions and the Fremantle Dockers at The Gabba on June 13, 2020 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

However, beyond the depths of these burgeoning, brutal and brilliant talents, the pool begins to thin somewhat for the merged club.

Given that so many starters call the river city home and the fact that the Lions’ premiership window remains ajar, it isn’t that much of a shock to find that Brisbane used the league’s least amount of names (32) over the course of this year.

Though this statistic proves that the sunshine state side has both a balanced starting squad and a coach that isn’t willing to tinker with winning formulas, the lack of experienced gained by several names on the club’s roster could rear an ugly head at the worst possible time.

AFL Rd 2 - Geelong v Brisbane — GEELONG, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Joe Daniher of the Lions and Chris Fagan, Senior Coach of the Lions look dejected after a loss during the 2021 AFL Round 02 match between the Geelong Cats and the Brisbane Lions at GMHBA Stadium on March 26, 2021 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

As Australian Rules Football has a lengthy fixture for such an of the most attritional sporting code, injuries aren’t unfortunate across campaigns, they are facts of life.

As Fagan currently has 13 names that have played less than 20 games under his stewardship (six of whom have never played a senior appearance), match-hardened depth could well be the loose stitch that sees their latest premiership challenge unravel if the club’s physio’s become overrun next year.

Still, if these muscle and joint whispers are left happily twiddling their thumbs rather than testing tears, 2022 could well have the competition’s ears deafened by the Lions’ mighty roar for the first time in 20-years.