Daniel Annable will live out his childhood dream of playing for the Brisbane Lions.

The Lions secured the talented midfielder at Wednesday’s 2025 Telstra AFL National Draft at Marvel Stadium with Pick 6 after matching a bid from Richmond.

Annable, a graduate of the Youi Brisbane Lions Academy, grew up in Queensland playing for Redland-Victoria Point.

The 18-year-old experienced an impressive underage career starring at all levels as well as finishing in the top 10 for the 2km time trial at the National Draft Combine.

Despite not being a stranger to Brighton Homes Arena, the new Lion said he can’t wait to arrive and hit the ground running for his first official AFL preseason.

“It’s a dream come true,” Annable said.

“I grew up barracking for the Lions, so I’ve always had such a passion and love for the club and to be able to get the opportunity to play for them is unreal and something my family and I will truly cherish.

“Playing VFL for the Lions this year, I saw the Club’s culture firsthand and how they genuinely value each other’s company and make everyone feel comfortable - it’s a culture that I want to be a part of.”

The 184-centimetre midfielder starred for the Allies in the National Championships where he averaged 24.8 disposals, 4.3 clearances and 3.8 tackles.

He also averaged 21.3 disposals for the Lions at VFL level.

Though he isn’t just a talented player, he is also seen as a natural leader which saw him captain the Lions Academy and the Under-18 All Australian team.

Lions National Recruiting Manager Stephen Conole said the Club was thrilled to have secured Annable.

“We are super excited to add Dan to our list,” Conole said.

“He was the Youi Brisbane Lions Academy captain whose leadership, competitiveness and strong team ethos has been outstanding through his time with the Academy.

“Dan is a terrific, contested player, a clean ball handler and has shown he can impact games when pushing forward as well.

“We look forward to seeing his development as a Lion.”