King names his flag favourites in hotly contested premiership race

Reigning premiers the Brisbane Lions have enjoyed an unbeaten start to their title defence, claiming three wins from three after a strong come-from-behind victory over Geelong on Saturday night.

With young guns taking charge, squad depth off the charts and a proven formula, former AFL great David King sees the Lions as a force to be reckoned with in 2025.

The Lions have had to fight back from half-time deficits in all three games but they've been good enough to, says King.

“23 points down late in the first quarter of week one, 31 points down late in the first quarter in week two, 32 points down late in the second quarter in week three, and it doesn’t matter,” King told SEN's Fireball.

“You know they are coming; you’re just not sure at what stage.

“I think that ‘Fages’ (Chris Fagan) will be rapt with this. Their pre-season was knocked around significantly.

“They didn’t play scratch matches, they had minimal match-sim opportunities, the impact of the delayed game from Opening Round, nothings really seemed to affect them.

“I think it’s a great sign that they are a club in unison. They know the long game and they are winning early which is remarkable given all those things we’ve spoken about.”

With superstar Lachie Neale copping a frequent tag, midfielders Will Ashcroft (26 disposals, six clearances per game) and Hugh McCluggage (24 disposals, career high eight score involvements per game) have stepped up, both enjoying the best start to a season in their respective careers.

Despite the top shelf football from the likes of Hawthorn and Adelaide, King has stood firm on his belief that the Lions should be widely considered the premiership favourites, contending with the scepticism of SEN’s Kane Cornes.

King: “How can they not be the favourites for the flag? What evidence is putting the slows on?”

Cornes: “Well, Hawthorn’s performance…”

King: “Has it been better than (the Lions)?”

Cornes: “No.”

King: “So why would they not be favourites?”

Cornes: “Because they are hard to win, back-to-back.”

Through Round 3, Hawthorn lead the Sportsbet markets as the favourite to claim the premiership flag, slightly edging the Lions, followed by the GWS Giants and the Adelaide Crows.

Brisbane will head to the MCG to take on the Tigers this Saturday afternoon in a bid to remain flawless in 2025.