Just down the road but so far away
Brothers Callum and Brendon Ah Chee usually reside 3600km apart, but the Queensland hub put in place for the resumption of the 2020 season means they will be just an hour away from each other.
Callum will be based in Brisbane with the Lions, and Brendon with the West Coast Eagles at a Gold Coast resort.
However, the strict COVID-19 measures mean the only time they will be able to have a face-to-face family reunion is when the Lions host the Eagles at the Gabba on June 20.
“It will be a bit strange. I don’t think I can go and see him and he is here for about a month or so ... hopefully we get the opportunity to play against each other and I get to see him at some stage,’’ Callum said.
“Obviously it (the Gold Coast hub) is something he’d rather not do, but everyone wants to see footy back, everyone wants to play. The weather is amazing. They are pretty lucky to be coming over here.’’
Having missed Brisbane’s Round 1 loss to Hawthorn due to illness, silky halfback Callum is yet to play a senior game in Lions colours after being traded from the Suns at the end of last year.
“It was just bad timing,” he said. “I got through the pre-season well and didn’t get injured, which was awesome, and then come Round 1, I was a bit crook.
“Obviously with the coronavirus it was a bit unknown, so it was pretty important to stay at home.
“It was just a bit of a cold. Unlucky to miss out but I’m fit and ready to go now.”
Brisbane host Fremantle, and the Eagles will take on Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium, next Saturday.