The Brisbane Lions might have failed in their bid to secure a 12th VFL/AFL Premiership this season, but the Club has still managed to significantly bolster its trophy cabinet over the past 12 months.

The latest piece of silverware to find its way to the Hyundai Centre was the 2013 NEAFL Premiership Cup, won by the Lions Reserves following their 46-point defeat of Aspley on Sunday.

It was the second straight State League Premiership for the Lions, following their triumph over the NT Thunder in last year’s NEAFL Grand Final.

The back-to-back wins are significant for the Lions’ next generation of young stars, whose taste of success at NEAFL level will only help to fuel their desire to achieve more with the senior team in the future.

It also marked the first time in the Lions’ history – Fitzroy and Bears included – that the Club had won consecutive second-tier titles.

In fact, it was only the Club’s seventh reserve-grade Premiership in total since the introduction of the seconds’ competition in 1919.

The Lions also secured just their third Pre-Season Premiership earlier this year when they defeated Carlton in the 2013 NAB Cup Grand Final.

The pre-season success was the Club’s first since Fitzroy won the then Night Premiership back in 1978.

It could also prove to be an historic one, with the AFL recently announcing some significant changes to the previous NAB Cup format that would effectively see the abolition of any form of pre-season title.

Pending any future return, the Lions could well become recognised at future trivia nights as the last ever Pre-Season Premiers.

An AFL Premiership will forever be the pinnacle of our game, but the importance of both Reserves and Pre-Season Premierships should never be understated.

Just ask Lions Hall of Famer Bernie Quinlan, whose only Premiership appearance came in Fitzroy’s Night Grand Final win over North Melbourne in 1978.

Or fellow great Mick Conlan whose first ever Grand Final was with Fitzroy’s Reserves side in 1989 – his final match before retirement.

So while the same esteem doesn’t come attached to trophies such as the NAB Cup or NEAFL Premiership Cup, they should still be celebrated as they are incredibly hard to win and don’t come around all that often.

BRISBANE LIONS PREMIERSHIPS*

Senior Premierships (11)
1898 (Fitzroy)
1899 (Fitzroy)
1904 (Fitzroy)
1905 (Fitzroy)
1913 (Fitzroy)
1916 (Fitzroy)
1922 (Fitzroy)
1944 (Fitzroy)
2001 (Lions)
2002 (Lions)
2003 (Lions)

Reserves Premierships (7)
1944 (Fitzroy)
1974 (Fitzroy)
1989 (Fitzroy)
1991 (Bears)
2001 (Lions)
2012 (Lions)
2013 (Lions)

Night/Pre-Season Premierships (3)
1959 (Fitzroy)
1978 (Fitzroy)
2013 (Lions)

*NB: Fitzroy also won the 1895 VFA Premiership - but that was prior to the commencement of the VFL competition