Description Available in: The Brisbane Lions are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed in 1996 from the merger of the Fitzroy Lions and the Brisbane Bears. The Lions are one of the most successful AFL clubs of the 21st century, having appeared in four consecutive AFL Grand Finals from 2001 to 2004 and winning three premierships (2001, 2002 and 2003).