Brisbane Lions Lowdown

This week, we’re shaking things up and bringing back a format many of you have asked for: a dive into the league’s big stories, followed by a club-by-club breakdown. The first episode each week will focus on the round’s losers, while the midweek follow-up will spotlight the winners, plus my votes and the team of the week.

In this episode, we recap a wild round of AFL action, from Brisbane’s commanding win over the Pies to a nail-biter between North and Carlton, and Freo holding on against the Crows.

We unpack standout performances, emerging stars, and shocking fades, while also exploring the deeper stories behind the games—from the league’s latest concussion protocols to clubs grappling with injuries, suspensions, and roster pressures.

Along the way, Ash gives his take on controversial incidents, rising young talent, and the clubs still trying to find their rhythm early in the season. There’s plenty of footy analysis, a little bit of old-school ranting, and even some local footy love thrown in. This episode has all the insights you need to make sense of the AFL’s current chaos—and what it might mean moving forward.

Buckle up—it’s a round worth talking about.

Round 4 delivered one of those nights that felt bigger than the scoreboard — and on this week’s Lions Lowdown, Ash is here to pull the whole thing apart with his usual mix of storytelling, stats, mischief and unapologetic Brisbane pride.

From the nerves (or lack of them), to the build-up, to a pre-game twist from the other mob that raised more eyebrows than it answered, Ash takes you right into the feel of the night before a ball was even bounced. Then it’s on to the game itself — the explosive start, the outrageous highlight that might already have a place reserved in folklore, and the midfield domination that flipped the momentum and never let it go.

But this episode is far from just a recap. Ash digs into the selection calls, the odd little subplots swirling around Collingwood, the commentary quirks, the weird and wonderful stats unearthed by Luke, and the shifting media narratives that always seem to orbit us after a big win. You’ll hear who starred, who surprised, and who — in Ash’s words — is going “straight in the bin.”

There’s praise, there’s frustration, there’s laughter, there’s one extremely cursed joke about AFL House after dark, and a top-five list that reveals the opposition clubs Ash secretly rates more than you’d expect.

It’s sharp, it’s passionate, and it’s full of the kind of takes you’ll be thinking about long after the siren.

If you love the Lions, love footy, or just love hearing someone absolutely in their element, this is not one to miss.

Tune in — and buckle up. The Lowdown is rolling.

Today’s episode winds the clock all the way back — before supercoaches, salary caps or stadium lights — to the chaotic frontier years when Australian football was still being stitched together on muddy paddocks. And right at the heart of that origin story sits an unlikely giant: the Melbourne University Football Club.

We trace the club’s beginnings in 1859, when a handful of students unknowingly helped shape a code that barely resembles what we watch today. From obscure early matches and forgotten rivalries to trophies, recesses and reinventions, Uni’s journey twists through the wild, unregulated decades of 19th-century football and into the birth of the VFL itself.

Then comes the rise, the struggle, the exodus — and the stunning afterlife. From amateur dominance to wartime heartbreak, from Test cricketers to future AFL powerbrokers, from early women’s football dynasties to the modern Blues and Blacks, the club’s legacy turns out to be far bigger — and far stranger — than its brief VFL stint ever suggested.

It’s a story full of surprises, vanished clubs, eccentric rules, academic oddities, unbelievable losing streaks, and the kind of characters you couldn’t invent.

And the best part?

Even after more than 160 years, some of the most fascinating twists are still hiding in the margins.

Dive in to uncover how a team built on books, boots and stubborn ideals ended up leaving fingerprints all over the game as we know it — long after their time in the big league was done.

This week’s Footy Lowdown is an absolute monster.

Round 3 threw everything at us: wild weather, big hits, big statements, and even bigger storylines.

From shockers in front of goal to masterclass midfield performances, this episode dives right into a chaotic, fascinating weekend of AFL footy.

Every game.

Every big moment.

Every controversial call.

Plus the votes… the takeaways… the players rising… the teams wobbling… and my fresh tips for Round 4.

It’s a full, fiery, fast-paced breakdown of a round that delivered absolutely everything — and maybe raised even more questions heading into next week.

Hit play and dive in.

G’day Lions fans — Ash is back and this week delivers just about everything except a quiet moment.

From Fitzroy nostalgia to Marvel mayhem to a much-needed win, there’s plenty to unpack without spoiling a thing.

We kick things off at Fitzroy Bowls Club for the first Historical Society night of the year.

There’s jumper drama, colour-clash conspiracies, and a return of a beloved Fitzroy design.

Then it’s off to Marvel Stadium for a strangely timed matchup that somehow becomes our first win of the year.

Expect talk of momentum swings, midfield muscle, surprise tags, unexpected role changes, a forward line that finally clicks — and a backline held together by tape, hope and a Swiss Army knife of a teammate.

There’s also a cameo from the MRO, who, for once, behaves like a rational being.

We head to the VFL too, with debuts, comebacks, late surges and a few standout performers worth circling for the future.

After that, it’s Media Watch, Ticks, Crosses, and Ash’s favourite segment of the year so far: the Bin and the Basket — featuring a suspension saga, a quiet masterclass in professionalism, and a few media takes that probably should’ve stayed in the drafts.

Plus:

• The best Lions in each line,

• A joke at Collingwood’s expense,

• Ash’s Pod of the Week, and

• A special Top Five sent in by a listener.

And to close it out, a look ahead to a huge Thursday night clash — a must-win game, national TV, and a few selection questions looming large.

It’s all Lions, all passion, all chaos… and absolutely no balance whatsoever.

Hit play and dive in.

🦁 Footy might’ve taken a breather this week, but the Brisbane Lions certainly didn’t — and neither did Ash.

🦁 Between injury news dropping at random hours, contract whispers circling, academy results rolling in, and a few unexpected shocks out of training, there was zero chance of a quiet episode.

🦁 In this week’s Lions Lowdown, Ash dives into all the stories that shaped the bye week: from one young Lion poised to lock in his future, to another facing a long stint on the sidelines. There’s encouraging news on the rehab front, some eyebrow-raising selection possibilities, and a handful of players who just reminded everyone exactly what they can do when match sim turns competitive.

🦁 Off the field, there’s academy dominance, a touch of Fitzroy nostalgia, big moves in the AFLW space, club events worth marking in the calendar, and a couple of offbeat moments only this club could produce. And yes — there’s also a little Saints-related spice lingering around this week’s matchup.

🦁 Ash also looks ahead to what’s coming for both the AFL and VFL sides, runs through the scenarios facing the selectors, and gives his early read on how the Lions are shaping up for a crucial month ahead.

🦁 Plus, there’s a heartfelt moment as the show touches on news involving a beloved Brisbane great — and what he means to the club and its supporters.

🦁 It’s a busy, wide-ranging, very Brisbane episode… even without a game on the weekend.

🦁 Press play and settle in — there’s plenty to catch up on.

🏉 Round 2 had a bit of everything — shocks, statement wins, last-minute swings and a couple of moments the wider AFL world will be talking about all week.

🏉 In this full-throttle wrap, Ash takes you game-by-game through the round, unpacking the big moments that shaped each contest and the little ones you might’ve missed. The votes are in, the big takeaways are sharp, and the Team of the Week is guaranteed to spark a debate or two.

🏉 Plus, Ash gets brutally honest with Three Things I Hate About Footy This Week — and redeems himself with Three Things I Love About Footy This Week, because balance is important… even if footy never quite gives it to us.

🏉 Every club, every clash, every storyline that matters — all wrapped into one episode.

🏉 There’s plenty to talk about, plenty to argue about, and more than a few surprises waiting along the way.

🏉 Round 1 is in the books, and The Footy Lowdown is serving up a double-sized episode packed with chaos, comebacks, controversy and a ladder that already looks nothing like it did seven days ago.

🏉 Ash breaks down every match of the round — the shocks, the steamrollings, the fade-outs and the freakish individual performances — plus the young guns who stole the spotlight, the teams already wobbling, and the early premiership threats emerging from the pack, this week had a bit of everything… including a few eyebrow-raising umpire interpretations, a media circus or two, and an all-timer coaching sook.

🏉 You’ll get Ash’s Team of the Week, his rolling ladder (which has already imploded once), and his tips for a round that looks even harder to predict than the first.

🏉 Hit play and find out what really happened in Round 1.

🏉 Ash takes a deep dive into one of the most dramatic chapters in Brisbane Lions history — the Voss era. What began as a bold, almost unprecedented coaching appointment quickly spiralled into a whirlwind of aggressive trades, emotional departures, and high-stakes gambles that reshaped the club forever.

🏉 From the headline-grabbing arrival of Brendan Fevola to the fallout that followed, from loyal premiership heroes walking out the door to unlikely recruits becoming club legends, this is a story of risk, reinvention and consequences — some immediate, others still echoing today.

🏉 But beneath the chaos lies a bigger question: was this period a failure… or the painful foundation of everything Brisbane would later become?

🏉 Who made the calls? Who paid the price? And which moment changed the course of the club for good?

🏉 Hit play to step inside the most turbulent era of the Lions’ modern history.

🦁 This week’s Lions Lowdown walks a strange little tightrope between frustration, honesty, and a few surprising silver linings.

🦁 From rumours of a Fitzroy-inspired treat, to a battered Brisbane lineup, to a performance that raised more eyebrows off the field than on it, this episode digs into the night that just… never quite felt like Brisbane.

🦁 We unpack the chaos, the context, the commentary circus, some eyebrow-raising media takes, a few things the fanbase probably won’t want to hear — and yes, a couple they definitely will.

🦁 There’s stats, stories, a cracking joke, a Top Five for the ages, and even a small detour through the wilder corners of footy social media.

🦁 It’s not all doom.

🦁 It’s not all gloom.

🦁 But it’s definitely an episode.

🦁 Hit play and decide for yourself what to make of it.