In his first official year as Captain, Dayne Zorko led the Lions to their first Finals appearance in 10 years and was prolific from both an individual and leadership perspective.
At an individual level, the Lions skipper had a cracking year. He set a career-high 12 tackles against the Crows in Round 9 and was consistently one of the most intense defensive players in the competition.
Not only did Zorko rank second in the AFL for total pressure acts in 2019, he ranked first in total tackles inside 50’s. His ball use was also at an elite level, ranking first in the AFL for total inside 50’s.
The dangerous midfielder had numerous games worthy of mention, but his efforts against the Melbourne Demons was arguably his most impressive individual effort for the season.
In the Lions clash against the Demons, Zorko had 31 disposals, seven marks, five tackles and three goals resulting in a 33-point win at The Gabba.
During the 2019 Brownlow Medal, Zorko polled in ten separate games for a total of 19 votes to finish tenth overall.
The 30-year-old was unlucky to miss out on the All-Australian Team after being named in the 40-man squad.
After four consecutive years winning the Merrett-Murray Medal as the Brisbane Lions Best and Fairest, the skipper took home the Nigel Lappin trophy for second place in 2019.
He was also awarded the 2019 Player’s Player alongside teammates Lachie Neale and Mitch Robinson.
In his acceptance speech, Zorko highlighted the retiring Luke Hodge as a source of inspiration for him in his development as a leader.
“I owe a special thank you to Luke Hodge for providing me and helping me with a leadership role that when I first took the job…having Hodgey in my corner’s been absolutely amazing and I’m forever indebted to him for what he’s been able to teach me”
Ultimately, Zorko is confident about the future of the Lions.
“Overall I think it’s been a fantastic year for every department and certainly gives us a really strong platform going forward and gives us something to build on,” he said.
Earlier this year, the skipper put pen to paper committing to the Lions until at least the end of the 2021 season. At the time of Zorko signing, Lions General Manager of Football David Noble highlighted the Captain’s positive influence on the club.
“Dayne can see the direction the Club wants to head in and he is a great influence for the entire playing group in setting the tone,” Noble said.
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