BRISBANE veteran Grant Birchall is on track to reach his trigger for a second season at the Lions, with the four-time premiership player keen to go on in 2021.
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But a decision on his future will be made at the end of the season if he does, as expected, meet the clause in his contract for a certain amount of games to activate a second season with the club.
The former star Hawk joined the Lions at the end of 2019 and has played 12 of 14 games this season.
His manager, Shane Casley of TLA Australia, said the 32-year-old had indicated he wants to go on again.
"He certainly does have a trigger and we're just about there, so I think by the end of the year we'll certainly reach that trigger. Then we just need to sit down with the club and make sure we're all on the same page," Casley told AFL.com.au.
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"I would think [he wants to go on] at this stage, and that's the talk I've had with him. We need to see how the season pans out and make sure he gets through the year unscathed, that's probably the main thing.
"I think at this stage if I were a betting man he'd be playing at the Lions next year, but there's still a bit of water to go under the bridge between now and then."
The Lions have more than 35 players on their list already contracted for 2021, with the potential for list size cuts to impact decisions on their remaining players without deals locked in for next year.
Birchall has followed the path set by former Hawks captain Luke Hodge in joining the Lions at the end of his career under ex-Hawthorn boss and now Brisbane coach Chris Fagan.
Despite playing only eight games in the previous two seasons due to injury issues, Birchall has been managed carefully through his first year at the Lions.