Brisbane co-captain Hugh McCluggage admits the Lions were wrong to include the name of a former teammate\u2019s girlfriend on a whiteboard detailing opponents\u2019 strengths and weaknesses but denies the back-to-back premiers have a culture problem.<\/p>\n
There was controversy last week after the leaking of a photo that showed the Lions\u2019 assessment of Essendon players ahead of Brisbane\u2019s battle with the Bombers on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Essendon\u2019s team includes former Lion Jaxon Prior, whose partner\u2019s name was listed as his \u201cstrength\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we had our time again, we wouldn\u2019t have involved his partner \u2013 it\u2019s as simple as that,\u201d McCluggage said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings stand in a really good place. I\u2019ve called him (Prior), I\u2019ve spoken to him about his partner as well, and we\u2019ll leave it at that out of respect for the two of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, there was further drama involving the Lions over the weekend, with Brisbane youngster Koby Evans allegedly directing a homophobic slur at a Coburg player during a VFL game on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe set the foundations and the rules, and sometimes there\u2019s going to be people that make mistakes,\u201d McCluggage said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what happens in all walks of life. When it happens, we educate, we learn and we get better, and as leaders we play a massive role in making sure that happens.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeaders in every walk of life have a responsibility to call this behaviour and this language out that\u2019s offensive to people.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to create environments where everyone feels welcome, everyone feels safe, and we\u2019re probably not where we want to be as a society yet in that area.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s disappointing it\u2019s happening in the AFL environment, and hopefully everyone learns from this, not just elite sporting environments.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked about \u201coutside noise\u201d questioning the Lions\u2019 culture, McCluggage was quick to defend his club.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t agree with that at all,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can see the bad things at times, and they take up a lot of the coverage, but there\u2019s a lot of good as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of journalists and outside people come into our club over the last two years, and I think all of them would say it\u2019s a really inclusive environment (and) it\u2019s a fun environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
McCluggage said the Lions would \u201csupport\u201d the remorseful Evans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll get around him, (and) we\u2019ll support him through it. He\u2019s a young man and it\u2019s a learning experience for him, and we\u2019ll support everyone else that\u2019s affected as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Lions host struggling Carlton on Friday night, with Blues coach Michael Voss \u2013 who captained Brisbane to a hat-trick of flags from 2001 to 2003 \u2013 under increasing pressure to keep his job.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe expect their best,\u201d McCluggage said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re a great side. We played them in a prelim (final) up here in 2023, (which is) not that long ago, so we know what their best looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n