AFL stars caught short after ‘only packing jocks and socks’ before being forced to stay in Melbourne for their next footy game as Brisbane goes into lockdown
- The Brisbane Lions have had their Thursday night match moved to Melbourne
- AFL club were to play in Brisbane but the city’s Covid outbreak forced changes
- Greater Brisbane residents will go into a snap three-day lockdown from Monday
- Lions player Mitch Robinson joked he had to stock up on underwear and socks
AFL players forced to stay in Melbourne after Greater Brisbane was plunged into a snap three-day lockdown have revealed how they have had to stock up on underwear and socks.
Brisbane Lions player Mitch Robinson took to social media to reveal he made a last minute dash to the shops to collect the essential items along with teammate Charlie Cameron.
‘When you under pack socks and jocks,’ Robinson wrote in a tongue-in-cheek post with a laughing face emoji.
The caption was posted above a photo of the pair as they stood holding shopping bags while standing next to a shop assistant.
The Lions have been in limbo since last Friday night’s defeat to Geelong after being ordered to stay in Victoria because of the Covid-19 outbreak in Brisbane.
Brisbane Lions player Mitch Robinson (left) took to social media to reveal in a tongue-in-cheek post he made a dash to the shops as he ran out of ‘socks and jocks’ after being forced to remain In Melbourne. He is pictured with a shop assistant and teammate Charlie Cameron
The team trained at Port Melbourne on Monday morning and will now stay in the Victorian capital for at least another four nights.
The Lions were meant to be back playing at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday for their blockbuster clash with the Collingwood Magpies.
But the AFL made the call to move the match to Melbourne after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the lockdown for Greater Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Redlands, starting at 5pm local time on Monday.
In a straight swap, the previously-scheduled round 22 meeting between the Lions at Magpies at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium will now be played at the Gabba.
‘In the interest of the health and safety of both clubs and the wider community we have made the decision move the match to Marvel Stadium,’ AFL General Manager Broadcasting and Clubs Travis Auld said.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley praised the AFL’s ‘common sense’ decision after staff were informed of the switch at the end of Monday’s training session.
Instead of flying north as planned on Wednesday, the Magpies will stay home, but Buckley said the late change will not affect his side’s preparation.
‘We always felt that it (coronavirus disruptions) wasn’t going to be isolated to 2020 and there’s going to be different times when this reality may occur,’ Buckley said.
Robinson and his Brisbane Lions teammates will remain in Melbourne for their Thursday night match with the Collingwood Magpies. They have been in Victoria since Friday when they clashed with the Geelong Cats (pictured at the game)
‘The fact that it’s happened early in the season is probably no surprise.
‘It’s wouldn’t be the first and it’s not going to be the last (time) that we’re going to have to make adjustments like this.’
Collingwood guns Jordan De Goey and Brodie Grundy both missed Monday’s training session with what Buckley described as ‘a sniffle’.
The star duo were ordered to stay away from the club and adhere to Covid-19 protocols, which include testing.
They will not return to the club until they receive negative results.
Buckley said similar issues had been a regular occurrence in recent months and is confident De Goey or Grundy will be cleared to take on Brisbane.
‘Much to the coaches’ chagrin, there’s probably been more lost sessions to runny noses in the last couple of months than we would like,’ Buckley said.
Greater Brisbane will go into a snap three-day lockdown from 5pm local time on Monday, with residents only allowed to leave home for essential reasons such as work, to care for people, exercise or shopping (pictured)
‘But they’re the extra precautions that we’re taking to make sure that we don’t have a repeat of last year and we’ve done really well to keep Covid out of the AFL cohort for the large part.’
Extra players will have to fly down from Brisbane for the Collingwood clash.
Ruckman Oscar McInerney needs to be replaced after injuring an ankle against the Cats, and there may be further changes to Chris Fagan’s team after two straight losses to start the season.
Brisbane are scheduled to meet the Western Bulldogs at Mars Stadium in Ballarat in round four on April 10 and could conceivably stay in Victoria until then if the situation in their home city worsens.
Advertisement
