Brisbane Lions issue extraordinary threat over fallout from stars’ end-of-season trip to Las Vegas
The Brisbane Lions are so furious about the reporting of the scandal surrounding their stars’ end-of-season Las Vegas trip that they are threatening to boycott two major media outlets.
Club CEO Greg Swann hit back at suggestions the scandal has split the playing group and played a role in the team’s shocking 0-3 start to the year after what he called ‘poor, insensitive and factually incorrect’ reports about last year’s end-of-season trip.
It has been reported that teammates have been having ‘tough conversations’ with each other as a result of the fallout from the holiday.
The team is now looking at taking the drastic step of banning its players from talking to a major newspaper and radio station.
‘The Brisbane Lions are considering a boycott of not just the Herald Sun but also 3AW for an indefinite period of time for the Herald Sun’s reporting, and 3AW’s,’ Nine journalist Tom Morris told Footy Classified.
‘The club are more angry at the Herald Sun, the players are more angry with 3AW.
The 10-strong group that visited Vegas featured Brisbane players Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage, Lincoln McCarthy, Zac Bailey, Jaxon Prior and Cameron Rayner.
Veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson confirmed on 3AW Radio that senior figures in the team discussed the fallout.
‘Danny Daly, the head of footy at the Lions, as a result of the reporting and the rumours on Monday called [co-captain] Harris Andrews and he called Lachie Neale and he said, “look you have to come clean with me is there anything in this? Is there a split in the playing group, are people blueing?”
‘The two leaders vehemently denied this.’
On Sunday, Lions co-captain Harris Andrews – who was not on the trip – dismissed speculation that the fallout had split the players.
‘Never any tension at all…there’s nothing to be stressed about,’ he said.
‘There’s been a massive blow up [externally] over the last couple of days but as a group we are united, all in this together.
‘We can’t control what other people say…..we haven’t had the start we wanted and people go outside the box to think of reasons why we’ve started this way.’
Lions chief executive Greg Swann also insisted the playing group remains united.
‘Is there a split in a group?’ Well, no there isn’t,’ Swann said.
‘It’s just bulls***. There’s no split in the group. This [trip] was in November, by the way. It’s not the reason we’re going no good.
‘It’s just that a few of our good blokes are out of form.
‘We asked all the leaders again and they said, “No, there’s nothing in it at all” in terms of a split in the group.’
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