Lockdown limits Lions

Women’s team could miss practice match

BRISBANE Lions have been forced to cancel men’s and women’s training as the Queensland capital’s threeday lockdown jeopardises the club’s pre-season plans.

The Lions scrapped three sessions — a men’s time trial and a group training, along with their women’s intra-club game — in the wake of the state government announcing a home quarantine for greater Brisbane until Monday at 6pm to curb the spread of a mutant COVID strain.

The men had trained before the announcement.

The Lions’ sole AFLW trial match against a rival club — versus Adelaide away next weekend — is up in doubt because from midnight on Friday South Australia will require Brisbane residents to quarantine for 14 days.

It is another headache for the AFLW, which kicks off on January 28.

The women’s league has rescheduled several preseason matches after border closures, has GWS stuck in Albury unsure of its next move and with potential fixture tweaks on the horizon if states do not lift travel restrictions.

Brisbane’s best-case scenario is the lockdown is not extended and it returns to training next week.

Lions officials are planning to train on Monday night, soon after the lockdown is lifted.

The AFL is working with the state government and will monitor the Brisbane situation over the next few days.

Crows forward Elliott Himmelberg’s return to Adelaide from his home state of Queensland is imminent and he has not been caught up in the Brisbane situation.