David Lillico

Lillico is a Morningside legend, with a career spanning from 1996 to 2011, eight grand finals and 218 games.

A promising talent, Lillico was named an U18 All-Australian, alongside the likes of Luke Power and Simon Black, and was considered very unlucky to miss out on being drafted to an AFL list.

His run of Grand Finals started early, with his first as an 18 year-old in 1998, against fierce rivals, Southport.

After three years in the SANFL with Central Districts, Lillico returned to Jack Esplen Oval, captaining the Panthers and becoming a dual Devery-Kelly medalist as the club’s best and fairest (2002 and 2007) and winning four premierships.

He won the 2004 Joe Grant Medal, for his best on ground performance in the Grand Final, after missing much of the year with a broken leg.

A serious knee injury in 2010 almost ended his career, but he underwent the radical LARS surgery and ultimately played a significant role in the Panther’s miraculous come-from-behind Premiership win.

Lillico captained Queensland over four years, winning a Zane Taylor Medal in 2005, in a match against Western Australia.