Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff is ‘99 per cent’ certain to remain at the Lions

TOM Rockliff is “99 per cent” certain to remain at Brisbane Lions next year and won’t be speaking to potential rival suitors.

Tom Rockliff is likely to remain a Lion. Picture: Getty Images

TOM Rockliff is “99 per cent” certain to remain at Brisbane Lions next year and won’t be speaking to potential rival suitors, according to his manager Tom Petroro.

Petroro said he could not understand where all the speculation was coming from in regard to Rockliff potentially being on the move in 2017, despite still being under contract.

“I’m really confident he will be there,” Petroro said on SEN. Asked to quantify his confidence, he added: “I’d be 99 per cent.”

“I spoke to (chief executive Greg Swann) Swanny on Tuesday night and talked through a number of things. Tom is preparing to be at the Brisbane Lions (next year).

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“He is working on the program that he has been given (by the club). We are not going to be talking to any other clubs.”

Petroro said he was unaware of the source of suggestions coming out of Brisbane that Rockliff would play elsewhere, but also that he is set to lose the captaincy.

And he dismissed suggestions that Rockliff had blood on his hands after the sacking of coach Justin Leppitsch last Monday.

“Leppa and Tom had a really good chat on Monday night, they have a really good relationship,” he said.

Tom Rockliff has been under pressure. Picture: Getty Images

“I think that any time captains will always have challenging relationships with their coach because that is part of the role. There are times when they will butt heads, and there were times when he and Leppa haven’t agreed on things. But they have a good relationship.”

As far as the source of the speculation, Petroro said: “Danny Daly is probably pseudo coach for the next couple of weeks, it is not coming from Danny, and it is not coming from Swany.”

“I feel like there is probably a lack of a really strong footy head in that place. What do they say, empty vessels make the most noise. So it might be a five per cent minority within the footy club, but the key people I deal with have great relationships with him, and want him at the footy club.”

Originally published as Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff is ‘99 per cent’ certain to remain at the Lions