The Brisbane Lions have reportedly taken action to avoid a repeat of their game-notes on opposition players being leaked. Controversy erupted before the Lions’ clash with Essendon last weekend when a photo was taken of a whiteboard inside their dressing sheds at their training ground.
The photo was reportedly taken by the parent of an Auskick participant and shared in a Bombers supporter group on Facebook. Listed on the whiteboard were strengths and weaknesses of Essendon’s players before their AFL game against Brisbane.
The Brisbane Lions have put new measures in place after the whiteboard leak. Image: Getty/Channel 7
Zach Merrett was described as “selfish”, while defender Ben McKay had “low confidence” written about him. A ‘strength’ listed next to the name of former Lions player Jaxon Prior was the name of his long-time girlfriend.
On Saturday night, Lions coach Chris Fagan blasted the ‘hero’ person who took the photo, saying: “I reckon it’s a little unfair when it’s your workplace and it’s what you do every day … we’ve been doing it for nine years … writing the strengths and vulnerabilities of opposition players up on a whiteboard.
“That man was there with his children, using our facility, and he decides to do that because he’s an Essendon supporter and be a hero. I think that’s really disappointing.”
The name of Jaxon Prior’s girlfriend was listed as his ‘strength’.
(Getty Images)Brisbane Lions take action to avoid a repeat
On Monday, Sam Edmund of SEN reported that Lions officials have now moved to instal frosted glass on the windows looking into the room containing the whiteboard. “While the whiteboard is normally out of sight, the club won’t be taking any chances from here,” Edmund reported. “It’s understood tradesmen will attend the club in the next week to install the frosted glass.”
On Monday night, Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd said the scathing assessment of Bombers players should be a wake-up call to them and act as motivation. “Players in the modern game are pandered to way too much and I don’t think they’re challenged enough,” Lloyd said on Channel 9 program ‘Footy Classified’. “You can use what other people have said about you to challenge you.”
And Kane Cornes has rejected suggestions that Brisbane did anything wrong, despite the reference to Prior’s girlfriend. “I just think it’s one of the great overreactions that I’ve seen from some people,” Cornes said on SEN.
“The questions around Prior. People tell me I’m ‘batting above my average every day’. I take it as a compliment. To think that was disrespectful is one of the greatest reaches I’ve seen.
“I just don’t think there was anything offensive whatsoever. He hasn’t taken offence to it, she hasn’t taken offence to it, there was no offence intended.”