Assessing his brilliant career, Charlie Cameron chuckled as he juggled a coffee and ham-and-cheese toasted sandwich.
“It’s been 10 years, mate,” he said. “I’m getting old. I would not say it is getting easier.”
While Cameron is a footballer who sparks an electric response from fans given his dazzling skills, the Brisbane forward plays with an ethos that is indicative of the collective mindset across a team playing for the premiership. If a “no dickheads” recruitment policy was a factor in the Swans stunning consistency this century, Brisbane’s rise to grand finalist in part stems from a no-fuss attitude. The humble Lions, if you will. From the chair to the coach, inclusive of the co-captains, flashy forwards and dashing defenders, humility is a common thread at Brisbane.
Cameron is the premier small forward in the AFL. His deeds over the past five seasons are astonishing, with the Lion booting more than 50 goals a year in all but the Covid-ridden 2020. But during an interview at Brisbane’s Springfield base in March, he attributed his success to everyone bar himself, including those he played with at the Adelaide Crows early in his career.
It is no coincidence the chorus to John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads rings out around the Gabba every time Cameron kicks a goal. Hailing from Mornington Island, at the foot of the Gulf of Carpentaria, he retains a love of hunting and fishing, and while football stardom has brought him perks, he is a humble country kid at heart.
The same is true of many of his teammates who have driven the Lions to one win over Collingwood away from being Brisbane’s first premiership team in 20 years. After hitting rock bottom a decade ago and struggling to retain recruits, the Lions decided to prioritise recruiting young players from the bush who loved their football but not necessarily the spotlight.
Some, such as Cameron, dual-Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley and Lincoln McCarthy, started their careers elsewhere before being lured north to become part of the collective. Hugh McCluggage and Jarrod Berry hail from western Victoria. Connor McKenna arrived from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland via a stint with Essendon and another back home.
Cam Rayner hails from the heart of Melbourne but his easy-going nature led one former staff member to identify him as a rare gem capable of breaking down barriers between all age groups. And anyone who has spent time with Lions co-captain Harris Andrews, who hails from Brisbane’s academy, could conceive of him spinning out homespun wisdom from the back of a ute.
Being a good person does not guarantee success. But it can lead to tighter bonds and enhance teamwork and a desire to drive higher standards in training and in matches, as Cameron noted when predicting in March that the Lions were ready to roar.
“When you come in through the doors, you are made to feel welcome,” he said. “I have felt that since day one. Having the opportunity to go to a different club, I have come out of myself and played some good footy and become a better person.”
Piloting the resurgence are the Brisbane coach, Chris Fagan, and the chief executive, Andrew Wellington. Fagan, who is a teacher and mentor and big on building character, was tasked with lifting the Lions from the lowest rung on the ladder. He is used to challenges. As a boy he played football in one of the toughest environments one can imagine, where calamine lotion was as important as liniment in the trainer’s kit bag. The Queenstown Football Club on Tasmania’s west coast is famed for its grey gravel ground that leaves players bloodied and bruised with cuts and scrapes.
His toughness no doubt helped him deal with the allegations of racism at Hawthorn which he was linked to a year ago, a tarring that bewildered many who had worked with Fagan or played under him. The Brisbane coach vehemently denied any wrongdoing and was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing by an AFL investigation alongside Alastair Clarkson and Jason Burt this year.
Not long before the pandemic, Fagan said he wanted to help the Lions grow as people while improving them as players. Regular individual temperature checks feature in his methodology. Every couple of months he spends at least 15 minutes privately with each player chatting about football and life. It is time-consuming, particularly in the middle of a season, but there is clear evidence it is working.
Wellington, too, hails from the bush, having grown up playing football in Geraldton. A partner with PwC, he joined the Brisbane board in 2014 and became chair at the end of 2017. He has missed just three AFL and AFLW Lions games since. After steering Brisbane through the Covid-era and out to Springfield, the next challenge is fireproofing the Lions to ensure sustained support with the Gabba unavailable for a period leading into the 2032 Olympics.
The AFLW team has been a powerhouse as the Lions men’s team has grown. But similarly to Cameron, Wellington deflects to others when assessing the new strength of Brisbane. “To be a good club, you need a lot of people doing a lot of hard work together,” he said.
Follow the build-up and every minute of the grand final itself on Saturday with Guardian Australia’s live blog from 11:30am AEST
