Olympics 2032 Gabba redevelopment to leave Brisbane Lions searching for home

The Brisbane Lions could win the AFL premiership on Saturday and be homeless in two seasons, as the Queensland government prepares to demolish and rebuild the Gabba for 2032’s Olympics.

Lions co-captain Lachie Neale at Brisbane Airport before flying to Melbourne. Picture: Liam Kidston

The Brisbane Lions could win the AFL premiership on Saturday and be homeless within two seasons, as the Queensland government drags its feet on locking in a new home ground for the team when the Gabba is demolished and rebuilt for the 2032 Olympic Games.

Heading into the grand final against old foes Collingwood at the MCG, the Lions are still in the dark about where they will play home games after December 2025, when the Gabba is razed for a $2.7bn redevelopment to become the main Olympics and Paralympics stadium.

The Gabba rebuild – which would increase its total capacity from 42,000 to 50,000 seats – does not include the cost to taxpayers of a new or upgraded interim stadium for the Lions, and the Gabba’s cricket tenants, for between four and seven years.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has spruiked the Lions’ and the Brisbane Broncos’ finals chances on social media this week, tweeting that AFL fans were “daring to dream” about the Lions’ first grand final since 2004.

But the Queensland Premier has also deflected criticism of the Gabba Olympics redevelopment cost blowing out from $1bn in 2021 when it was first announced, to $2.7bn in February, describing the rebuilt stadium a “lasting legacy for Queensland”.

Lions chief executive Greg Swann told The Australian the situation was odd and annoying, and confirmed the club was in negotiations with the state about the relocation, and financial compensation for potential lost members and Gabba ticket sales.

“Because we’re being moved out of the Gabba, there are conversations around just where we’re going to play, what the compensation might look like,” Mr Swann said.

“We’ve got two years (until we go). It is a bit strange, it is a bit odd, we’ll have to go somewhere for four or five years and wait for the Gabba to be built.

“It’s going to be annoying for those four or five years, but then we’ll walk into a state-of-the art facility. Always the latest stadium to be built is the best in the country, so once the Olympics is done we’ll be the beneficiaries of a fantastic stadium.

“So we just have to sort of survive that four or five years, and then we kick on again.”

Mr Swann said the Lions’ two preferred options were an upgrade to its $80m training facility at Springfield, 30km from the Brisbane CBD, to allow it to expand from between 8000 and 10,000 seats to 20,000, or a new stadium and playing facility at the RNA showgrounds at Bowen Hills, home to the Ekka.

The problem with both locations is the Lions currently have 54,000 paid-up members, and not even half of those will be able to fit in the temporary stadium to watch home games.

“It’s going to be tough to get in (to see a Lions home game) for that period, but it is what it is,” Mr Swann said.

“We hope (we won’t lose members) because we want them to stay when we hit the new Gabba, which will hold 55,000. We want them to come with us. But no doubt it’s going to be a juggle.

“If there’s a 20,000 capacity and you’ve got 54,000 members, you don’t have to be Einstein to do the maths that it’s difficult for everybody to come.”

He said the club would consider ballot systems to make it fair for members. Currently when the Gabba hosts AFL, it fits a smaller crowd than its total capacity. The Lions’ preliminary final against Carlton last weekend drew a sold-out crowd of just over 36,000.

Stadiums Queensland has finished an analysis on four AFL ­location options – Springfield, the RNA showgrounds, Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (formerly ANZ Stadium or QEII) at Nathan, 9kms south of the CBD, and Heritage Bank Stadium at Carrara on the Gold Coast – and has delivered it to the government.

Appearing at budget estimates last month, Todd Harris, the chief executive of Stadiums Queensland, warned the “only current fit-for-purpose venue for both sports … is Heritage Bank Stadium, 84km from the Gabba on the Gold Coast”.

“If it is decided to upgrade a Brisbane venue to host AFL and cricket during the Gabba redevelopment period, urgency and decision of approvals is required to enable works to be completed in readiness for the beginning of the 2026 AFL season,” Mr Harris said.

A Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport spokesman declined to answer detailed questions from The Australian and said: “The government is investigating options and working productively with cricket and AFL”.

The government is in negotiations with Queensland Cricket and Cricket Australia to find new homes for international test matches, one day internationals, Queensland Bulls Sheffield Shield games, and Brisbane Heat men’s and women’s Big Bash League contests.

Administrators from both AFL and cricket expect to be told by the government by the end of the year what compensation they will receive from being kicked out of their Gabba tenancy.

Ms Palaszczuk has blamed the increase in the Gabba’s rebuild on inflation, an increase in the cost of building supplies, and the need to achieve a six-star green rating.