A favourite son of the Noosa Tigers and the only ‘Shadeau’ to have played in the AFL, Shadeau Brain had played his 9^th AFL game in Round 23 2024, when the Lions lost to Collingwood by a point at the MCG.

Only one player in Brisbane history had waited longer between games without a major injury – Matt Eagles was 792 days between his fourth game in Round 10 2018 and his fifth game in Round 11 2020.

But it was worth the wait for Brain, who has been a victim of the extraordinary player depth on the playing list of the 2024-25 premiers.  He was a star in Saturday’s win over Gold Coast at Carrara.

Coach Chris Fagan couldn’t have been happier for him. “He was good wasn’t he,” Fagan volunteered post-match. “He did some great stuff.

“He’s been knocking at the door. Sometimes it works out that way .. when you get injuries you get a chance and you can show what you’re capable of.

“He’s tough – a genuinely tough defender – and a nice kick. I was really pleased for him.”

Brain was drafted by the Lions as a Category B rookie on 30 November 2023 and debuted in a Round 9 2024 against Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval, which was the second game of the Crows’ Daniel Curtin, brother of Brisbane’s Cody Curtin.

In three and half seasons with the Lions, during which time the club has played 93 games, Brain has played 10 games. He played Rounds 9-10-15-18-19-20-21-22-23, was overlooked in the 2024 finals and did get a chance in 2025.

And on Saturday he was recalled amid an injury crisis like never before in club history,

Fourteen senior players with a combined 1498 games worth of experience were unavailable, and there were only seven listed players in the VFL side – Sam Marshall (13 games), Cody Curtin (4), Zane Zakostelsky (3), Luke Beecken (1), Luke Lloyd, Ben Murphy and Koby Evans (0).  And Marshall was taken off at halftime as an AFL standby.

With the back-to-back premiers coming off three consecutive losses the pressure was on.

But the Lions #34 slotted into the defence as if he was a regular, playing 81% game time  - less than only Harris Andrews (96%), Darcy Gardiner and Jaspa Fletcher (87%), Darcy Wilmot and Lachie Neale (86%) and Darragh Joyce (84%).

He had 13 possessions, five score involvements, four intercept possessions and 439 metres gained – fifth most in the Brisbane side behind only Darcy Wilmot (517), Jarrod Berry (496), Logan Morris (494) and Lachie Neale (470).

Brain has had 35 different teammates in his 10 games and has shared a locker room with another 18 who have played at AFL level during his time at the club. And since his debut in Round 9 2024 he’s seen 185 players across the competition make their AFL debut.

All that despite a 75% win ratio from seven wins and a draw, and a net score of ‘plus 338’.

As much as it might be said that he has played ‘only’ 10 games, he’s already done better than 101 of 358 Brisbane players all-time who did not or have not yet hit double-figures.

And with a 75% win ratio he is equal at the same stage with Levi Ashcroft and better than all but 16 of the 257 Brisbane players who have played 10 games.

Not surprisingly eight of those ahead of him are current players. Logan Morris and Bruce Reville (85%) sit equal third on this list behind Grant Birchall and Dylan McLaren (90%), and Josh Dunkley, Will Ashcroft, Jaspa Fletcher, Darcy Fort, Keidean Coleman and Conor McKenna were at 80% after 10 games, with Callum Ah Chee, Daniel Bradshaw, Sam Day, Richard Hadley, Ash McGrath and Jaxon Prior.

The average strike rate at 10 games is 38.5%, with two players having gone 10 games without a win – Peter Worsfold and Ben Keays.