Hostile: The interesting alteration Lions made at home game

The Brisbane Lions introduced an interesting initiative during their Opening Round loss to the Western Bulldogs, promoting home ground advantage through a minor alteration to their big screen activity.

As reported by SEN's Tom Morris, the Lions started their first match of 2026 at the Gabba without any noticeable difference from prior years.

However, entering the second quarter, Brisbane's events management staff decided to pull the plug on any Western Bulldogs highlights, refusing to play any opposition goal replays for the remainder of the contest - which the Lions lost by five points.

“For the first quarter at the Gabba between Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs, they replayed the Western Bulldogs’ goals in that quarter. The Western Bulldogs kicked two goals, so they replayed them,” Morris told SEN’s Locked In.

“Then, they made a decision at quarter time that they were going to stop replaying the Western Bulldogs goals in quarter two, three and four. It’s a home ground, it’s hostile, we want to make this a fortress.

“It was the events day staff (that made the call). Chris Fagan had nothing to do with it, although Greg Swann, when he was CEO, put a very firm halt to music being played for opposition goals – as it should be.

“From the second quarter, the Dogs kicked three goals. They then kicked four goals, and then seven goals. None of those goals had replays.

“Now, the Brisbane Lions are weighing up whether they should show replays of opposition goals for the rest of the year, or whether they should do what they’ve always done, and show the replays for travelling fans.”

Kane Cornes commended the change, comparing the AFL to international sporting events and the added hostility created by home teams.

“I have no issue with them not replaying opposition goals,” Cornes added.

“It’s your home ground; you can do what you want on your home ground – within reason – as you like!

“Go to an NBA game and go to a home court… the lights are out when the opposition come out. Then the lights go BANG when the home team (comes out), they get these full intros… it’s amazing, and the atmosphere is incredible!

“That’s what happens in other sports, so, no issue. In fact, if I ran a club, I wouldn’t play opposition replays.”

Beyond Brisbane’s initiative, Morris also reported that West Coast have utilised their replay screen as a form of significant income.

“I spoke to the AFL about it, and they said it’s up to each club to decide what the home ground atmosphere is,” Morris continued.

“I got interested as to what other clubs do, and I found out from a very good source, that West Coast, over the last few years, have had so many away goals, that they’ve actually started sponsoring the big screen action for the away goals, because it’s been getting so much airtime!”