Brisbane Lions are the NAB Cup winners. Should we be expecting big things from them this year?

Congrats to the Lions in a much better display than 2012 ..... and to your Q.... better will be the word rather than big. The season is long and the depth can't cover blokes like Brown if he's sidelined for a few games. But then, in the Year of Surprises, this is but one of a dozen or more teams who could claim a spot in the 8, and that's what I take out of NAB games this year.

I think we can take a few lessons from the NAB Cup - The Lions were well deserved winners, and I think Michael Voss and the supporters will take a lot of confidence from the consistency the Lions have showed in the preseason to date.

Their discipline needs a bit of work, which I'm sure he'll address, but the mix of veterans, middlemen and young and rising stars from Brisbane town are playing a brand of footy that should be great to watch this season.

If they can be competetive against teams from the top 8 from last year, as they were (and remembering they beat an understrength Collingwood), they have a really good crack at making the eight.

At this stage, I'll chuck them in the logjam between 6th and 12th, but there's some character in the Lions this year that we saw only briefly last season. Ones to watch.

Carlton - well, we lacked a lot of fight but for that second quarter last night, and I don't think they quite know what the Malthouse gameplan is as yet, but I'm not worried about it. The Blues lost all of their games in the preseason last year and roared out of the blocks - and I think we can regroup for the better.

I don't have anything but good old blind faith to suggest we can beat an improving Richmond in round one, but I think we can get the 4 points. However, I'm still not convinced we're finals material this early on. If we are, I'd say lower eight, but nothing in our current form suggests we'll be anywhere near top 4 material as yet.

All I can say is - season 2013 - BRING IT ON.

Fair enough, Brisbane won the Nab Cup silverware. But hey? During the past few seasons, the Brisbane Lions are one of the worst Inter-State travelling teams in the comp alongside with Port Adelaide.

If the Lions can demonstrate that they're eligible enough to win games at the M.C.G, Etihad Stadium, Subiaco Oval and try avoiding any losses up at the Gabba, then i'd say they're a potential Top 8 contender for the year.

They've certainly put themselves in the frame to get into the top eight but let's not forget that two of their wins were against Gold Coast and a scrape home win against GWS in Wagga. There are a number of other teams that were equally impressive and then ...

... it will come to the real season.

Like the Crows had a fairly easy draw last year, the Lions will be favoured a bit this year but they still need to somehow squeeze their way into a very crowded and talented top eight. You can mark off five sides as almost certainties and five more as being damned hard to beat and then the Lions have to make their mark! Tough. I put them with Richmond, St Kilda, Adelaide, Carlton, Essendon, Fremantle, North Melbourne as needing to push for those other three places in the eight behind the big 5.

They looked pretty good, but I don't rate Carlton as highly as a lot of people do, they only beat one decent side, maybe two, in the nab cup, that was Sydney who were underdone after a late start to pre season, and Freo, they only just got over GWS, so I wasn't convinced about them, still aren't.

But yes, the Lions were impressive, but we just don't know, their path was pretty easy too, I can't see them improving that much to rise to a top 4 side even if it has happened the last 5 years, which is something I wouldn't of known, that's how much notice I take of who won the past nab cups.

They will push for the 8, along with Richmond, Carlton, Essendon, North and to a lesser extent St Kilda. Again that's just my opinion.

Yes Congrats to the lions, and their coach Micheal Voss. They were most impressive, getting away to an early lead, before constant free kicks resulting in goals to Carlton pegged back them back. After the long break the lions steadied and regained the lead, a sign of a good side ! Their book ends Merrett and Brown played well providing great strength and structure to the team . The recruitment of Melbourne discards Maloney and Martin could prove a masterstroke by the end of the season. Both played important roles helping the lions to victory, with Maloney's experience a steadying influence for the young lions midfield, while Martin in a back up supporting role for young inexperieced ruckman Longer, was a good contributor in the middle and up forward. With the future inclusion of Black and Luenberger returning from injury, the lions have much to look forward to, and in my view are a definite final 8 contender in 2013 .

What did i get out of the NAB cup?

Mick Malthouse has got some work to do as Carlton's bad habits from previous years definitely came back to roost in this game. they made the Lions look good in the second half of the game.

Sorry but i don't believe that Brisbane can keep this momentum up for another 6 months. there is much water to travel under the bridge between now & then.

I see Brisbane pushing for a top 8 place along with Essendon, Carlton, St. Kilda, North Melbourne, Fremantle & Richmond

I think Hawthron, Geelong, Collingwood, Sydney, West Coast, Adelaide are pretty good prospects of a top 6 finish so that leaves 6 teams competing for the final 2 spots. It should be one hell of an exciting year that's for sure!

properly bulldogs now regrettably. There is going my hopes lions might bypass properly this season, yet after todays overall performance i exceedingly doubt we will additionally make the 8, sigh.. we would desire to paintings on our ball skills and surely manning up, we appeared worse than an decrease than 10s team immediately as i dont think of we had a single sparkling disposal for the great tournament. Whats worse is the 2nd we turn it over there are over 0.5 the contest unfastened to do what they elect with it and no tension everywhere on the floor. i know its basically the NAB cup yet those have somewhat darkened my hopes for any possibility of finals for my team this 12 months, as with this overall performance we would desire to no longer beat any team interior the afl no longer to show any of the contenders. :( edit @ bato: sure we've been lacking brown, black, and skill, in spite of the shown fact that there is greater suitable than 3 gamers in a team. beneficial they are our important stars yet that doesnt excuse something of the gang enjoying like utter crap. sure the circumstances have been undesirable, in spite of the shown fact that that grow to be the only element that saved us from an absolute smashing. the way we purely allowed the contest plenty area and freedom without tension in any respect, the only time we've been given a turnover grow to be with the aid of an unforced errors disposal brought about by utilising the undesirable circumstances. What happens while we play in good circumstances and permit the contest all that freedom? I apologise for no longer having the flexibility to work out how we are able to probable win a tournament enjoying like that.

Hope so! 1 game at a time. I think we will still be undefeated after round 1. Playing the Western Bulldogs at a familiar venue, it's our 4 points and good start to the season to lose.