Brisbane star Dayne Zorko has thrown his support behind embattled Lions captain Tom Rockliff.

The future of Rockliff as the Lions’ skipper and even at the AFL club is under a cloud after a season when Brisbane won just three matches and finished 17th on the ladder.

Zorko, who claimed the Merrett-Murray medal as the Lions’ best player in 2016 on Saturday night, says Rockliff’s confrontational leadership style might not be to all tastes but he believes it’s necessary to get the best out of an under-performing group.