Experienced Roar duo elect to stay at home with families due to Cyclone Alfred rather than fly to Adelaide for A-League match

With Cyclone Alfred approaching, a couple of experienced Brisbane Roar players have opted to remain at home with their families rather than travel to Adelaide for an A-League match.

A-League officials did not offer Brisbane the chance to have the club’s away game against Adelaide United on Saturday postponed after only two Roar players opted against travelling to South Australia to remain at home with their families to safeguard against the impending Cyclone Alfred.

The Roar had been scheduled to leave for Adelaide on Friday as is customary for them to depart Brisbane for most away matches the day before the game.

However, with Cyclone Alfred expected to hit south-east Queensland on Thursday night or Friday morning, the Roar squad left Brisbane for Adelaide on Wednesday, fearing the possibility that flights would be cancelled later this week.

With the cyclone fast approaching, Roar players and coaching staff were given the option of not travelling to Adelaide to instead stay in Brisbane with family and loved ones.

Three of the Roar’s experienced players expressed concerns about leaving their families behind, and two of them – understood to be French playmaker Florin Berenguer and former Socceroos winger Ben Halloran – stayed in Queensland.

Stay safe out there, Queenslanders 🧡

Make sure you're prepared → https://t.co/QUHH1q1JGqpic.twitter.com/HDgptu0Lwm

— Brisbane Roar FC (@brisbaneroar) March 5, 2025

Had more players opted to stay at home – the exact number not disclosed – the Australian Professional Leagues, which runs the A-League, would have been likely to offer the last-placed Roar the opportunity to postpone Saturday’s match against the title-chasing Reds at Coopers Stadium.

And while the Roar did not ask the APL to reschedule the match, Brisbane’s chief operations officer Zac Anderson said “player and staff wellbeing” was the club’s “top priority”.

“We’ve been working with the playing group, PFA (Professional Footballers Australia) and the APL over the last few days regarding travel and the match schedule,” Anderson said. “Following discussions with players, the majority of the squad was clear in their intent to play and the team has flown out early in preparation.

“We will continue to monitor the situation, and do what we can for staff and players’ families in Queensland.”

It’s understood that PFA chief executive officer Beau Busch Busch was also due to speak to Brisbane players after their arrival in Adelaide on Wednesday afternoon.

The Roar squad and coaching staff are scheduled to return home to Brisbane on Sunday morning, with no flights out of Adelaide available on Saturday night after the match, which kicks off at 4.30pm (South Australian time).