Heard of the Elbanna Cup? It’s a very prestigious trophy for an annual cricket match at Ormiston on the Australian Day weekend, and it says a lot about Daniel Annable.

It’s his ‘baby’. Something the Lions newcomer started five years ago in which a bunch of mates from his junior club at Redland take on counterparts from arch-rivals Morningside.

Elbanna Cup? That’s Annable spelt backwards.

Despite having graduated from club football to AFL ranks via the draft last November Annable wasn’t about to miss the 2026 event, held in the backyard of his family home.

It was bigger than big, with family and friends on hand to watch a contest live-streamed on their social media platforms and raising money for mental research and the Black Dog Institute.

Among the combatants were Cooper Hodge, son of ex-Hawthorn and Brisbane legend Luke Hodge, and Ben Lillico, son of ex-Morningside star and Queensland captain David Lillico.

Simply, it’s the Annable way. His mates will always be his mates, home will always be home, and the annual Australia Day cricket game will always be on the calendar.

Set to make his AFL debut for the Lions against Sydney at the SCG on Saturday night, Annable was always going to be a footballer. And, under the Academy system, he had the benefit of knowing that barring a major mishap, he was always going to play for Brisbane.

Taken at #6 in the 2025 National Draft when the Lions matched a bid from Richmond, he’d been a member of the Lions Academy since the age of 12, and had trained under Academy coach Mitch Hahn in the senior system for the last three years.

Last year he captained the Allies at the Australian Under 18 carnival, was runner-up to Essendon draftee and All-Australian Under-18 captain Dyson Sharp in the Larke Medal, was chosen in the All-Australian side, and played eight VFL games for the Lions.

Hahn is a huge Annable fan. “They are a really good family, with good values and a good work ethic. And for a young player Dan is incredibly professional. His attention to detail on and off the field is incredible,” he said.

“He thought he had a bit of a weakness with ‘dirty footy’ (an awkward bouncing ground ball) and he spent hours and hours working on it so that now it’s a strength of his game.

“He’s an outstanding leader. When he gets into a group he instantly takes charge .. that’s just how he is. It’s in his nature to want to help others be the best they can.”

Having finished at Cleveland State High in 2024, Annable was encouraged by the Lions to get a part-time job last year to keep himself busy. He worked at Rebel Sport at Capalaba.

The new Lions #14 is the third and youngest child of Dean and Katrina Annable, behind Emily (25) and Nicholas (24). Or ‘my baby’ as his mum says.

A Victoria Point Sharks junior, he played football, cricket, basketball and volleyball growing up, but football was always #1.

Oddly, the same can’t be said for the Lions despite his long connection to the club. Because such was his passion for the AFL that he followed both Queensland clubs, and Katrina recounts, sometimes he’d got to a game at the Gabba or Carrara wearing a Lions shirt and a Suns cap. Or vice-versa.

“Eventually we said to him ‘alright, it’s time to choose’ and he stuck with the Lions.”

Father Dean, who played football at Alexandra Hills in his younger days, says “Dan” – as child #3 is called at home -  was always self-sufficient and focussed on what we wanted.

“We (his parents) were just the drivers. We never had to wake him up to go to training or anything like that .. he was always first ready and made maximum use of the resources available to him.”

Annable moved out of home in January to share a place with Lions teammates Jaspa Fletcher and Shadeau Brain, but according to his Mum he gets home at least once a week – sometimes twice. “I always get the ‘what’s for dinner?’ call on a Friday night,” she said.

Indeed, nothing much has changed. His bedroom at home is still his bedroom – “although it now doubles as a storage room,” says Katrina – and he still drives an old grey four-door Mazda sedan “with dodgy air-conditioning and a dint in the front where he side-swiped his sister in the driveway.”

Katrina says Dan was “an average student who said school interrupted his play time” and was “not a good traveller”. On a 10-minute drive to the shops he’s saying ‘are we there yet?. “He’s not so bad now.”

Any girlfriend? “Not that I know of,” said Katrina laughing. “I think footy takes priority.”