Brisbane Lions CEO Greg Swann has confirmed the club is almost certain to stay in Melbourne until at least the conclusion of their Round 4 clash against Western Bulldogs in Ballarat.
The Lions have been stuck in Victoria since Friday’s Round 2 match against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, with the AFL choosing to keep them away from Queensland as the current COVID situation evolves.
Brisbane was plunged into a three-day lockdown on Monday on the back of four extra community COVID cases being detected, forcing the AFL to move their scheduled Round 3 meeting with Collingwood on Easter Thursday from the Gabba to Marvel Stadium.
Swann said it was still an incredibly fluid situation for the club, but admitted they would not immediately fly back to Brisbane after Thursday night’s encounter with the Magpies and instead stay in Melbourne for an extra week at a minimum.
“We’re here this week and more than likely staying as we play the Bulldogs in Ballarat the week after,” he said on Sportsday.
“Obviously along the way we’ll see where it all pans out and hopefully they’ll be able to get the COVID situation under control in Brisbane.
“At this stage, we’ll be in Melbourne for that period I think.”
Swann said the weekend’s uncertainty was the hardest part of the current ordeal, with the Lions even boarding a bus to head to the airport on Saturday before being told they would have to stay in Victoria as the situation was assessed.
“The unknown has (been the hardest thing in the last few days),” he said.
“It’s probably good in a way that today we know where we’re at, we were on a bus waiting to go home and then were asked to stay another day and as it turned out it was a good move by the AFL to see where it went.
“I think if it would’ve been none or one case we would’ve gone home to play at the Gabba, but because there were quite a few cases and a lockdown (we had to stay) and now we have some certainty.
“Whether we were going to get home and play or not, that has been going on since Saturday and that unknown had been the hardest bit.”
The Lions head into Round 3 with a 0-2 record following successive defeats at the hands of Sydney and the Cats.