Sports

Lohmann lapped up Aker's advice before AFL grand final

September 29, 2024 2:57 pm

Kai Lohmann (C) celebrates one of his four goals in Brisbane's AFL grand final win. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

You’re a flashy Brisbane Lions forward who practises goal celebrations in the mirror, and it’s a day out from your AFL grand final debut.

There’s no better bloke to have in your ear than Jason Akermanis.

At the Brisbane captains’ run on Friday at the MCG, the three-time Lions premiership showman met Kai Lohmann for the first time.

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A day later the 21-year-old was the firestarter for Brisbane, kicking two first-quarter goals and four for the game as they mauled Sydney by 60 points.

“Because it was his first grand final, I really felt like Kai was just like ‘tell me anything, give me something’ to take in and use’,” Akermanis told AAP post-match.

“We just talked about what’s going on in the stadium with the winds and stuff and he came out and dominated. He had three before halftime and if he kicked another couple more he’d be a Norm Smith medallist.”

Lohmann said Akermanis was advising him to try left-foot snaps from the pocket – “I was thinking right snap”.

“He has been through it all … he gave me a lot of help.

“I’ve watched his highlights a few times. He’s a great human and what a star player he was – it was pretty cool to talk to him.”

Lohmann mixes in lofty circles at Brisbane. Leigh Matthews presented him with his debut guernsey and there was a touching moment late in the game, when they hugged on the interchange bench.

“He’s the greatest of all time. It’s pretty cool,” Lohmann said of the three-time Lions premiership coach.

Amid the celebrations in the Lions rooms, Lohmann also remembered someone much closer to home.

This time last year, nursing a broken collarbone from playing in the VFL, the Victorian native rejected offers to come home and signed a two-year deal with the Lions.

“Mum will be happy with this one. We had some hard conversations last year – very special,” he said of Brooke.

He lived for 12 months with key forward Eric Hipwood, who said it was “interesting” and revealed Lohmann practises his goal celebrations.

Within minutes of their premiership triumph, Lohmann and fellow young gun Darcy Wilmot were dreaming of what might come next.

“Hopefully four or five more (premierships). It might be a bit of a stretch, but you never know,” he said.