Brisbane captain Harris Andrews has declared former West Coast captain Oscar Allen is “flying” since joining the Lions and will command the best defender every week while looming as a boom recruit for the reigning premiers.

Allen joined the Lions as a free agent this season after battling injuries at West Coast for the past two seasons. But having been directly opposed to Allen when he was an Eagle, Andrews said he’d noticed a clear difference to how he is now moving and performing during training.

Logan Morris became the number one forward at Brisbane last season following Joe Daniher’s retirement, kicking 53 goals. But Eric Hipwood’s knee reconstruction on the eve of the finals would have placed a huge focus on the 191cm Morris during 2026.

Andrews said it is clear Allen will take demand the opposition’s best forward every week.

“I think so. He’s going to be a great addition for us,” Andrews told The West Australian at the AFL’s Captains Day.

“He’s really bought into uniting our forward line with his leadership down there. his past experiences have allowed him to have an influence. We are excited to have him.

“He’s going well. He’s flying. He’s settled in really well. From a performance perspective, he is taking big marks, kicking goals and putting a lot of pressure on around the ball. From a leadership perspective, he’s just been added to our leadership group. It’s a great reflection of the impact he’s had.

“When Joey left it was sort of panic stations for everyone externally but Loges did a great job playing as a key forward last year. He’s probably a bit on the shorter side than some of the other guys. He did a great job last year. I think the introduction of Oscar into the team is going to make life a lot easier for some of those other guys like Loges and Ty Gallop, and Hippy when he comes back.”

Allen recently spoke of his disappointment about the way his free agency discussions were handled by the Eagles when they became public. He also opened up about injuring his knee in round one and attempting to play through pain all season.

Andrews said the club’s medical staff had done a great job to help Allen with his recovery and ease him into training with the Lions.

While a concussion against Carlton last week was a setback for the key forward, Andrews said he the way Allen was running and jumping was a clear sign that his athleticism is back.

“He’s definitely moving well,” he said.

“He’s had his fair share of injuries over the last couple of years but he’s come back to the club fit. Early days when we started pre-season, they monitored him a bit and really adjusted his training to get him going.

“Post-Christmas he has locked in and trained hard. It’s been great playing on him. It’s always a challenge stepping up against him because he’s super physical in the contest. I’m glad now I don’t have to play on him at AFL level.”