Brisbane Lions’ MCG premiership flag unveiling request knocked back by Richmond

Brisbane was hoping to put on a spectacle for its Melbourne fans to celebrate its 2024 flag ahead of its clash with Richmond at the MCG, but the Tigers have knocked the Lions back.

Richmond quickly rebuffed a cheeky request from Brisbane to present its premiership flag in front of its Melbourne fans at the Tigers home clash in round 4.

Brisbane had planned to unfurl its premiership flag on Thursday night against Geelong but was also keen to at some stage show its gratitude to the Victorian members who have stood by the club.

The Round 4 clash is their first contest in Melbourne with the premiers taking on Sydney (SCG) and West Coast (Gabba) in the coming fortnight, with the round 3 bye now likely to see them play Geelong (Gabba) in a rescheduled clash.

The Lions have thousands of Melbourne fans who have remained loyal to Brisbane since the club merged with Fitzroy and regularly hold family and supporter days for those fans.

Lions players unfurling the flag in Brisbane in 2024. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.

But those preliminary inquiries about whether the Lions could use the Richmond home game to present or unfurl the flag were quickly knocked back.

In 2021 the Tigers invited fans to the Gabba for a Friday night training session before a Lions clash to take photos with its 2019 and 2020 premiership cups

But home games are considered the ideal environment to build an ‘us-versus-them’ mood with fan activations rather than allow a rival team into a club’s stronghold.

It is understood the informal request was made by marketing types instead of one of the Lions’ senior leaders.

The Lions were also keen to showcase the premiership cup on the MCG concourse outside the ground but have also been told that would be unacceptable.

Brisbane Lions players celebrate winning the AFL Grand Final after defeating the Sydney Swans at the MCG. Picture Lachie Millard

Richmond is about to embark upon a top-to-bottom rebuild of its list but even in its time of need agreeing to Brisbane’s request would have gone down terribly with its fan base.

The club’s new chief executive Shane Dunne told the Herald Sun last month the club was in a “rejuvenation”, and believes the fans are on board with the new direction.

“I am so excited, it feels like a rejuvenation through the place at the moment with such young talent coming through the doors,” he said.

It’s not all about round 1 or the pre-season. We’re seeing glimpses and that’s what it’s about, the potential for these young men to turn into elite footballers, long-term elite footballers.

“The Tiger army should be excited, we want them to come on this journey with us as they develop.”

Originally published as Brisbane Lions’ MCG premiership flag unveiling request knocked back by Richmond