The Brisbane Lions are refuting any talk of a crisis

THE Brisbane Lions have reacted angrily to reports the AFL has had to launch an “intervention” because the club is in crisis.

Justin Leppitsch has faced questions about his future the entire season.

THE Brisbane Lions have had a horror season to date, but they’re not accepting talk of a crisis.

Reports surfaced that AFL Football Operations boss Mark Evans had flown to Brisbane to conduct an “intervention” of sorts for the struggling club, but that allegation has been rebuffed by the Queensland club.

During Saturday night’s game between Richmond and the Western Bulldogs, Channel Seven reported Evans went to Brisbane to speak to everyone involved with the Lions — who currently sit second-from-bottom on the ladder with only one win from 15 games.

“The AFL and in particular the (AFL) Commission have lost patience with the Lions management,” Seven reporter Tom Browne said.

“There’s real concern behind the scenes a player exodus at the end of the season could be bigger than what’s already been speculated on, which has forced the AFL to stage what can only be described as an intervention this week.

“Mark Evans flew up to start a wide ranging AFL review on Thursday. He’ll interview everyone under the sun so to speak ... I understand players are really concerned.

“All season the AFL, at least publicly, has insisted Queensland footy isn’t in crisis. Behind the scenes, sending Mark Evans up there for a review has escalated that.”

AN INTERVENTION from the AFL into the @BrisbaneLions is underway. @TomBrowne7 has the story #AFLDogsTigers https://t.co/pOgUT0sHwX

— AFL on 7 (@7AFL) July 9, 2016

However, the Lions are completely rejecting any notion of a crisis sparking an intervention.

Brisbane CEO Greg Swann was quoted by The Courier Mail as saying he actually asked Evans to come to the club so they could discuss what the Lions needed to improve both on and off the field.

“I asked Mark to come up and go through it with us because he is very experienced,’’ Swann said.

“He spoke to a few guys and asked what else we need and between us we got a bit of a wish list.

“It’s not like we are in receivership. We asked him to come up because he knows what’s going on around the league and it was actually a good day.’’

Herald Sun footy writer Mark Robinson tweeted shortly after the news broke saying the Lions were “filthy” at the accusation, and claimed Evans visited both Brisbane and the Gold Coast Suns.

LIONS: Club seething about Ch7 report club in crisis and AFL Evans sent North to fix mess...Evans visited Suns and Lions

— Mark Robinson (@Robbo_heraldsun) July 9, 2016

LIONS: Spoek clubs what they need ahead of Commish visit in a month. Lions have two players not signed, so talk of mass exodus they say...

— Mark Robinson (@Robbo_heraldsun) July 9, 2016

LIONS: They say is totally incorrect. No intervention as reported.No talking to players by Evans. To say they are seething is understatement

— Mark Robinson (@Robbo_heraldsun) July 9, 2016

Channel Seven reported Swann will present at an AFL Commission meeting at the end of July.

The club is reportedly under-financed and under-resourced, and coach Justin Leppitsch has faced questions about his future for the duration of the season in the wake of his troops’ lacklustre performances.

Searching for just their second win of the season, the Lions came up short in their clash with interstate rivals the Suns on Saturday evening.

The Suns were rarely troubled in the impressive 22.7 (139) to 17.11 (113) victory but it came at a huge cost, with Gary Ablett damaging his troublesome left shoulder in the final term — almost two years to the day he originally dislocated it — and vice-captain Michael Rischitelli’s career now in danger after hurting his knee.

Coincidentally, both players suffered the injuries while trying to tackle Brisbane’s Mitch Robinson.

Ablett had looked in good touch, collecting 18 possessions and 10 clearances, but when Robinson shrugged his tackle early in the last quarter, he clutched his shoulder and then went straight to the Metricon Stadium change rooms.

He left the ground with his arm in a sling and will be sent for scans on Monday.

Rischitelli was celebrating his 100th AFL game for the Suns when he went down inside the first two minutes with a knee injury. “It looks like an ACL. It’s a classic movement. He heard it pop,” coach Rodney Eade said.

It’s been that kind of season.

To make matters even worse for the Suns, midfielder Dion Prestia’s knee swelled up after the match — but Eade is optimistic he will be fit to play the Western Bulldogs in Melbourne next week.

The incidents took the gloss off an otherwise solid night at the office for Gold Coast, who were led by vice-captain Tom Lynch and rookie forward Peter Wright, who kicked five goals apiece.

Fourth-gamer Rhys Mathieson was easily Brisbane’s best with 24 touches.

The sides traded blows early but a stretch of six unanswered goals across the first and second quarters gave the Suns a comfortable buffer they retained for most of the match.

The Lions gave Gold Coast a scare in the third term, whittling the margin from a game-high 50 points to just 24 by the final break.

But the Suns were able to hold their nerve and comfortably book back-to-back wins, dealing Brisbane their 11th consecutive defeat in the process.

Justin Leppitsch was pleased to see his side fight back but said they made too many errors.

“We’ve got to get a bit more cohesion, a bit more time together and a bit more understanding to not make those little mistakes that end up in goals,”

— with AAP

Originally published as The Brisbane Lions are refuting any talk of a crisis