Brisbane Lions crisis meeting after furious partners see wild antics on WhatsApp group

Brisbane Lions have denied a split in their playing ranks despite holding a crisis meeting as the club deals with ongoing fallout from an end-of-season Las Vegas trip.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 28: Blue and yellow lights flicker around the border of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign on the Las Vegas Strip as a show of support for Ukraine on February 28, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Clark County (NV) changed the coloured bulbs on top, which are usually all yellow, to blue to match the flag of Ukraine, as people across the globe react to Russia's invasion of the country. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP

Brisbane Lions players have split from their partners and the club has held a crisis meeting over an end of season trip to Vegas.

The winless Lions called the meeting of their leaders late on Good Friday to discuss revelations that rifts occurred on that holiday to the United States.

The Herald Sun understands that one of the members of the travelling party accidentally uploaded a WhatsApp group chat to iCloud on his Apple Phone.

That person’s partner accessed the group chat back home in Australia and read messages that detailed what was happening in the US.

The Lions drama unfolded in Las Vegas.

Those messages were then shared with other partners, who were furious at some of the wild antics being discussed in the group chat.

The travelling party of about 10 was mostly players and their US trip finished in Vegas.

Lions chief executive Greg Swann said he did not know if the WhatsApp group chat used in the US had been accidentally uploaded to iCloud and accessed back home.

But Swann emphatically shot down suggestions that the November trip was hampering the club on the field.

“If the question is, ‘Is there a split in a group?’ Well, no there isn’t,” Swann told the Herald Sun.

“It’s just bulls***. There’s no split in the group. This was in November, by the way. It’s not the reason we’re going no good.

“We’re not horrible, by the way. It’s just that a few of our good blokes are out of form.

“We asked all the leaders again today and they said, ‘No, there’s nothing in it at all’ in terms of a split in the group.”

Chris Fagan’s Lions have had a winless start to the season after making the Grand Final. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Lions are co-captained by Lachie Neale and Harris Andrews. A further seven players are in the club’s leadership group.

Senior officials at the Lions started fielding calls about the US trip during last week’s bye.

The Lions were premiership favourites on the eve of the season.

They were undefeated at the Gabba in 2023, but have been knocked off at home by Carlton and Collingwood this year.

The Lions gave up leads of 46 points (Carlton) and 25 points (Fremantle) in their first two losses this year.