The AFL is trying to help the Brisbane Lions get funding for a new facility

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan will on Tuesday make a personal pitch to the State Government for desperately needed funding for the Lions’ new headquarters.

Gillon McLachlan will speak to Annastacia Palaszczuk on Tuesday. Picture: AFL Media

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan will on Tuesday make a personal pitch to the State Government for desperately needed funding for the Lions’ new headquarters.

Despite the success of the Lions’ AFLW side, there has been no love from the State Government, which has stonewalled Brisbane at every attempt to secure $15 million to build a boutique stadium for the women attached to their proposed training and administration base at Springfield.

It is understood McLachlan made some progress with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in a phone call last week.

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The Government budget committee met on Monday night where the Lions hope money was earmarked for the $60m project, if not McLachlan has a meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon to make another pitch.

Brisbane finally had one win on Monday, with the start time of Saturday’s AFLW grand final against the Bulldogs pushed forward 30 minutes to 11.35am (Qld time) to avoid an overlap with the men’s season opener.

Gillon McLachlan will speak to Annastacia Palaszczuk on Tuesday. Picture: Getty Images

Pleas to move the game to Etihad Stadium as a curtain-raiser fell on deaf ears.

The original 12.05pm start time would have forced fans to make a choice between either the women or men — who play St Kilda at Etihad Stadium at 2.35pm — or miss the end or start of one of the games if they attempted to watch both.

There is no clash for the Bulldogs, whose men’s side play GWS in Canberra on Sunday.

Lions CEO Greg Swann was straight on the phone to McLachlan on Sunday night requesting a schedule change once Collingwood’s victory over Adelaide assured the Lions of back-to-back grand final appearances.

Brisbane has been the most consistent performers across the fledgling competition’s first two seasons.

But both years it appears the grand final schedule was made with the assumption the Lions wouldn’t be in it.

Last year the Lions women’s team had to play the grand final at Metricon Stadium because the Gabba was not available.

The out-of-sight, out-of-mind situation Brisbane and the Suns often find themselves in with AFL decision-making highlights once again the need for a Queensland-based administrator looking after the interests of the state’s two clubs on the AFL executive or commission.

Originally published as The AFL is trying to help the Brisbane Lions get funding for a new facility