KAI Lohmann has resisted the temptation to move south for greater opportunities, happy to bide his time in Brisbane behind a small forward he thinks will go down as one of the AFL’s greatest.<\/p>\n
The 20-year-old from Ballarat, taken with pick 20 in the 2021 draft, inked a two-year extension with the Brisbane Lions last week.<\/p>\n
Defender, Darcy Wilmot, 19, also added two years to his deal, keeping him at the Lions until 2027.<\/p>\n
Wilmot has established himself in Brisbane’s defence but Lohmann has been unable to crack a permanent spot, leaving him open to offers in his native Victoria.<\/p>\n
He played six AFL games this season, with any hopes of a finals recall ended when he broke his collarbone flying for a mark in the VFL.<\/p>\n
A trip home after surgery helped him reach a decision on his future, with Lohmann saying his family were fully supportive when he said he was staying in Queensland.<\/p>\n
“The pull’s pretty big from back home, but the support at the club has been amazing,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Shattering [to get injured] but the best-case scenario, I could have landed on my neck and never played footy again.<\/p>\n
“I had AFL opportunities this season and didn’t achieve what I wanted to but I’ll build on that.”<\/p>\n
Lohmann accepts that, given Brisbane’s stacked front half, those opportunities could take a while to return.<\/p>\n
“The best forward line in the AFL… I get to learn off Charlie Cameron and he’s going to go down as one of the best small forwards ever,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I get to watch him every day\u2026 I’m going to be a better player for that.\u00a0I will get my opportunity… and I’m just going to have to take that when it comes.”<\/p>\n
Wilmot burst onto the scene with a finals debut last season and has stuck to his guns in 2023 with some daring ball use out of the Lions’ defence offering the side something new.<\/p>\n
“The mindset doesn’t change, just keep doing what you’re doing and… they trust you to get your job done,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You’re going to make mistakes in footy, it’s what you do after it. Fix it up and go again.”<\/p>\n
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