Brisbane Lions

Establishment and history

The Lions began with two different football communities to bring together. Fitzroy supplied a long Victorian history and supporter base; the Bears brought a Queensland presence developed during their decade in the national competition. The AFL approved the merger on 4 July 1996, before the club’s November launch and first season the following year.

That two-city identity is central to understanding the club. The early premiership run in 2001–03 belongs to the merged Lions, while Fitzroy’s separate pre-merger flags remain a different record. The later titles in 2024–26 form a second three-season sequence in the honours list below.

Official club history and milestones.

A short club timeline

1. 1996Merger approved in July; official launch follows on 1 November.
2. 1997The merged Lions begin AFL competition.
3. 2001–03The club wins three consecutive premierships.
4. 2024–26A second run of three consecutive flags.

Continue the story in our guide to this club’s rivalry, with sourced match examples and links to the opposing club.

Home ground and identity

The Gabba anchors the Brisbane match-day identity, while the club’s history explicitly recognises its Melbourne supporter community. A match venue tells only part of this two-city story.

For a particular match, use the current AFL fixture. The facts above identify the principal venues and club colours.

Honours

Senior men’s VFL/AFL premiership years through 2026: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2024, 2025, 2026

Source: AFL premiership winners, 1897–2026. This is a league-specific record: it excludes AFLW, VFA, SANFL, reserves and pre-season titles.

Sources and scope

Reviewed 4 November 2026. Official club history; AFL historical chronology; AFL match-venue information; AFL honours register. Men’s team reference profile, with heritage noted where necessary. Current squads, captains and coaches are deliberately separate season-specific subjects.