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Josh Schache re-signing with Brisbane Lions a victory for the true believers

Daniel Cherny
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To borrow a famous phrase from former prime minister Paul Keating, Josh Schache's decision to recommit to the Brisbane Lions until the end of 2019 was a victory for the true believers.

And until this week, there weren't that many left. It was becoming harder and harder to find people in football circles who thought the former No. 2 draft pick would be at the Gabba in 2018. That included senior figures at the Lions, who were growing increasingly fearful that the key forward would ply his trade at a Victorian club – most likely Richmond or Carlton – next year.

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The whispering campaign was on in earnest, with chatter about that Schache had already told teammates that he wanted out.

But every now and then in the cloak-and-dagger trade scene, face value can be believed. That's why Lions chief executive Greg Swann was very keen to laud Schache's agent David Trotter, whose name had privately taken a bit of a beating as the Schache saga continued to drag on.

Swann said that Trotter had insisted throughout his regular talks with the club that Schache hadn't yet decided on his future. Those claims were vindicated on Monday when Schache returned to the Gabba following his two-week break back home in Seymour, telling the club his future was at the Lions. "His manager said all along that [Schache] hadn't made his mind up," Swann told Fairfax Media. "So he deserves a bit of a pump up."

Trotter has been in regular communication with the Lions, adamant that Schache's plan had always been to wait until the mid-point of the season before making a decision. Trotter had visited Schache in Seymour where the youngster had spent time away with his family after a lean first half of the season in which he kicked just six goals from six games before being dropped. Swann conceded on Thursday that the contract speculation – which Schache recently said had been overblown – had weighed the teenager down.

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That the news has been welcomed with open arms by the Lions is an understatement. Firstly they are glad their decision to treat Schache like a genuine young man struggling with a difficult decision, rather than taking a harder line, has paid off. More importantly it stems the recent bleeding of highly-rated kids from the Gabba. With the uncertainty around Schache sharply in focus, the Lions have led recent calls for draftees to get longer first contracts.

You can't blame them either given Jared Polec, Sam Docherty, Elliot Yeo, Billy Longer and James Aish have all left since the end of 2013. Docherty and Yeo are both in All-Australian contention, Polec has been important in Port Adelaide's rise up the ladder, Longer is keeping Tom Hickey out of the seniors at St Kilda, and Aish's courage has drawn high praise from Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley. The Lions could not afford to keep being a feeder club.

Seemingly headed towards the wooden spoon, the Lions' challenges are far from over. But keeping Schache at the club to complement the likes of Harris Andrews and Eric Hipwood is a big step in the right direction.

The Lions are optimistic too that with his future now clearer, Schache's football will improve. That will however have to start in the NEAFL, with the Lions opting not to recall him for Saturday's game against Fremantle, in which they will hoping to snap a nine-game losing streak. For the Lions' list management team, attention has now turned to securing the services of  Daniel McStay.

And for those watching key position players, there are still plenty of targets. Interest around Gold Coast captain Steven May and gun Adelaide defender Jake Lever – both of whom are out-of-contract and also managed by the McDonald Sports Management stable of which Trotter is a part – will only heighten with Schache off the market.

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