BRISBANE'S remarkable record with injuries is one of the primary reasons it has gone from cellar dweller to premiership contender in 2019.

The Lions have missed fewer games through injury than any other team this year.

Mitch Robinson is one of 11 Lions to have played every game this year.



Eleven players have played all 22 games (and another four have played 20 or more).

But it hasn't always been that way for the Lions.

Speaking on Tuesday morning ahead of the club's first final in a decade, coach Chris Fagan recalled his very first pre-season session in November 2016.

"There were 37 players there, 25 were in rehab and 12 were doing proper training and I thought "gee, I forgot to ask them that question, how healthy was the list?"

"From that day forward, it was a new medical group and we all started together, that's been addressed and over the course of the last two years we've had a magnificent run with injuries, which I hope continues for the rest of this year and into the future, of course."

The new medical team he speaks of was headed by Peter Blanch.

In truth, the Lions' run with injuries has been exceptional in all three of Fagan's seasons at the helm, but crediting the medical team alone would be wrong.

The high-performance department, led by Damien Austin – who came to the Lions from Sydney under Justin Leppitsch's regime in late 2015 – has also done a remarkable job.

Soft tissue injuries are almost non-existent.

Cam Rayner hits out in a pre-season boxing session.



Lincoln McCarthy has played every game this year after a chequered career and Marcus Adams is now healthy after persistent knee problems.



"It's a combination of things," Fagan said of the good run.

"Our players are fit, they're happy, our medical staff do a brilliant job, as do our fitness staff.

"Our boys look after themselves.

"When you put all those things together it usually helps you have a reasonable run with injuries.

"I can't speak highly enough of our medical and fitness group, they've been magnificent pretty much from the day I arrived at the club."

Lincoln McCarthy has finally had a clear run at his footy.



Stefan Martin, whose career began with a raft of injuries in his first seven years, has missed just four games in the past five seasons.

He told AFL.com.au a lot of staff needed credit.

"It's tempting to single out a few but I've got no doubt our strength and conditioning guys play a huge role in that because you build a body that can withstand the rigours of the AFL and a lot of that is done by those guys and the programs they write," he said.

"It just gives us a great chance doesn't it?

"It means there's pressure always on positions. If a man goes down, we've got another one ready to take their place."

Stefan Martin has enjoyed a much-improved run with injury in the past five seasons.



Fit and firing Lions

22 games – Charlie Cameron, Darcy Gardiner, Jarryd Lyons, Stefan Martin, Lincoln McCarthy, Daniel McStay, Lachie Neale, Cam Rayner, Daniel Rich, Mitch Robinson, Dayne Zorko

21 games – Eric Hipwood, Hugh McCluggage, Alex Witherden

20 games – Luke Hodge