2020 Brisbane Lions season

The 2020 season was the 24th season in which the Brisbane Lions have participated in the VFL/AFL.

2020 Brisbane Lions season
CoachChris Fagan
(4th season)
Captain(s)Dayne Zorko
(3rd season)
Home groundThe Gabba
Pre-season(1-1)
AFL season(14-3-0)
Leading goalkickerCharlie Cameron
(29)
Highest home attendance15,036
(Round 15 vs. Collingwood)
Club membership29,277[1]

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic

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The 2020 season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was formally declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020, eight days prior to the scheduled start of the AFL premiership season and 18 days prior to the final round of the AFL season.

Prior to the commencement of the season, the fixture was shortened from 22 matches per team to 17, under the expectation that matches would be forced to stop at the peak of the disease.[2]

The season commenced on 19 March as originally scheduled, but the introduction of restrictions (and later of formal quarantines) on interstate travel, resulted in suspension of the season after round one.[3] During that round, matches were played in empty stadiums for the first time in the league's history.[4]

Throughout the season, matches were played for a shortened length of 16 minutes plus time on per quarter, instead of 20 minutes plus time on. This was originally done at the start of the season, in the hope that playing shorter games could facilitate more frequent games than weekly, maximising the games which could be played before the anticipated suspension of the season.[5] Though the initial run of games lasted just one week, the shortened game time was retained after the season's resumption to allow make-up games to be more easily scheduled between rounds when matches were postponed or refixtured.[6]

On 15 May, as most states began easing restrictions, the league's plan to resume the season was announced: clubs began non-contact training from 18 May, and full contact training from 25 May, ahead of resuming competitive matches from 11 June, with the revised fixture released gradually throughout the year, and changing regularly and often at short notice when the situation forced it.[7]

The sizes of allowable crowds changed as the season progressed, with early season Queensland and New South Wales crowds limited to only a few hundred, while half crowds were allowed in the largely virus-free Western Australia from Round 7.

Following a virus outbreak in Melbourne in June, Richmond's base of operations was relocated to the Gold Coast, alongside all nine other Victorian clubs.[8] The club played the remainder of their home games in the state, other than when travelling to other virus-free locations.

2019 off-season list changes

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Retirements and delistings

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Player Reason Club games Career games Ref
Tom Cutler Traded 66 66 [9]
Lewis Taylor Traded 112 112 [10]
Luke Hodge Retired 41 346 [11]
Ben Keays Delisted 30 30 [12]
Josh Walker Delisted 52 85 [12]
Ryan Bastinac Delisted 43 164 [12]
Nick Roberton Delisted 73 73 [12]

Free agency

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Date Player Free Agent Type Former Club New Club Copmensation Ref
5 October Cam Ellis-Yolmen Unrestricted Adelaide Brisbane Lions 3rd round [13]
10 October Grant Birchall Unrestricted Hawthorn Brisbane Lions None [14]

Trades

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Date Gained Lost Trade Partner ref
16 October Pick 48 Lewis Taylor Sydney [15]
16 October Pick 72 Tom Cutler & Pick 64 Essendon [16]

National Draft

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Round Overall Pick Player State Position Team From League From Ref
1 22 Deven Robertson WA Midfielder Perth WAFL [17][18]
2 33 Brock Smith VIC Defender Gippsland Power NAB League [19]
2 37 Keidean Coleman QLD Forward Brisbane Lions academy NEAFL [20]
4 59 Jaxon Prior WA Defender West Perth Football Club WAFL [21]

Rookie Elevations

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Player
Mitch Hinge
Oscar McInerney

2020 squad

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Senior list Rookie list Coaching staff

Head coach

Assistant coaches


Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice-captain(s)
  • (B) Category B rookie
  • italics - Inactive player list
  •   Long-term injury
  • (ret.) Retired

Updated: 2 November 2020
Source(s): https://www.lions.com.au/teams/afl, [1]


2020 season

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Match Date Score Opponent Opponent's score Result Home/away Venue Attendance
1 Sunday 23 February, 3:10pm 12.5 (77) Collingwood 14.14 (98) Lost by 22 points Home Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex, Burpengary 2,027 -
2 Sunday 8 March, 6:40pm 10.6 (66) Greater Western Sydney 16.15 (111) Won by 45 points Away Ikon Park, Carlton North 7,148

Home and away season

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Round Date Score Opponent Opponent's score Result Home/away Venue Attendance Ladder
1 Sunday, 22 March, 3:35pm 19.8 (62) Hawthorn 14.6 (90) Lost by 28 points Away MCG 0 15th
2 Saturday 13 June, 1:45pm 12.9 (81) Fremantle 10.9 (69) Won by 12 points Home The Gabba 0 11th
3 Saturday 20 June, 7:40pm 10.17 (74) West Coast 6.8 (44) Won by 30 points Home The Gabba 1,965 5th
4 Sunday 28 June, 3:35pm 10.23 (83) Adelaide 7.4 (46) Won by 37 points Home The Gabba 7,354 3rd
5 Saturday 4 July, 7:40pm 12.13 (85) Port Adelaide 6.12 (48) Won by 37 points Home The Gabba 10,161 2nd
6 Thursday 9 July, 7:40pm 6.10 (46) Geelong 11.7 (73) Lost by 27 points Away SCG 1,311 3rd
7 Saturday 18 July, 1:45pm 13.10 (88) Greater Western Sydney 10.8 (68) Won by 20 points Away GIANTS Stadium 3,168 2nd
8 Sunday 26 July, 6:10pm 7.11 (53) Melbourne 7.7 (49) Won by 4 points Away Metricon Stadium 3,011 2nd
9 Friday, 31 July, 8:10 pm 14.7 (91) Essendon 3.10 (28) Won by 63 points Away Metricon Stadium 4,860 2nd
10 Tuesday, 4 August, 7:10 pm 4.17 (41) Richmond 12.10 (82) Lost by 41 points Away Metricon Stadium 5,651 2nd
11 Saturday 8 August, 7:40pm 14.12 (96) Western Bulldogs 11.6 (72) Won by 24 points Home The Gabba 11, 061 2nd
12 Monday 17 August, 7:10pm 7.11 (53) North Melbourne 8.4 (52) Won by 1 points Away Metricon Stadium 2,722 2nd
13 Sunday, 23 August, 3:35 pm 6.14 (50) St Kilda 7.6 (48) Won by 2 points Home The Gabba 13,750 2nd
14 BYE 2nd
15 Friday, 4 September, 7:50 pm 6.6 (42) Collingwood 5.4 (34) Won by 8 points Home The Gabba 15,036 2nd
16 Wednesday, 9 September, 7:10pm 13.10 (88) Gold Coast 6.7 (43) Won by 45 points Home The Gabba 11,292 2nd
17 Sunday, 13 September, 6:10 pm 11.7 (73) Sydney 6.5 (41) Won by 32 points Away Cazalys Stadium 3,700 2nd
18 Saturday 19 September, 7:40pm 11.12 (78) Carlton 10.1 (61) Won by 17 points Home The Gabba 14,563 2nd

Finals

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Match Date Score Opponent Opponent's Score Result Home/Away Venue Attendance
Qualifying final Friday 2 October, 7:50pm 10.9 (69) Richmond 8.6 (54) Won by 15 points Home The Gabba 22,104
Preliminary final Saturday 17 October, 6:40pm 6.6(42) Geelong 11.16 (82) Lost by 40 points Home The Gabba 29,121

Awards

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Season Leaders

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Player Number AFL Rank
Disposals Lachie Neale 487 1st
Goals Charlie Cameron 29 8th
Centre Clearances Lachie Neale 42 5th
Marks Eric Hipwood 76 39th
Kicks Jarryd Lyons 249 5th
Tackles Dayne Zorko 73 23rd
Spoils Harris Andrews 138 3rd
Hitouts Oscar McInerney 342 7th

League awards

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All-Australian team
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Player Position Appearance
Named Harris Andrews Full Back 2nd
Named Lachie Neale Midfield 2nd
Nominated Hugh McCluggage - -
22 Under 22 team
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Player Position Appearance
Named Hugh McCluggage Wing 2nd
Nominated Zac Bailey - -

References

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  1. ^ Waterworth, Ben (9 September 2020). "AFL 2020 club by club membership numbers revealed". Fox Sports. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Season cut to 17 games, call delayed on R1 start". afl.com.au. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  3. ^ "WATCH from 4.30pm AEDT: AFL postpones season". AFL.com.au. 22 March 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  4. ^ Jon Ralph (13 March 2020). "The AFL season is in limbo with Round 1 to be played without fans". Herald Sun. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  5. ^ Damian Barrett (18 March 2020). "It's on: AFL confirms round one will go ahead". Australian Football League. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  6. ^ Jon Ralph (27 May 2020). "AFL considering expanding interchange bench for season restart". Herald Sun. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  7. ^ Damian Barrett; Mitch Cleary (15 May 2020). "REVEALED: AFL's first day back, full-contact training, more COVID tests". Australian Football League. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Fixture rewrite: Vic clubs forced north for R6-7, return date unknown". AFL.com.au. 3 July 2020.
  9. ^ Lerner, Fielding (16 October 2019). "Tom Cutler Departs". lions.com.au. Brisbane lions. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Lewis Taylor Departs". lions.com.au. Brisbane Lions. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  11. ^ Cleary, Mitch (20 September 2019). "AFL 2019: Luke Hodge set to retire at end of this season, move into part-time coaching role". Fox Sports. Telstra Media. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  12. ^ a b c d "Lions make further list changes". Brisbane Lions. Telstra Media. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Hear me roar: Crows big bodied midfielder Cam Ellis-Yolmen becomes a Lion". Fox Sports. Disney Publishing. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  14. ^ "Lions nab four-time premiership defender as a free agent". AFL. Telstra Media. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  15. ^ "Lewis Taylor Departs". Brisbane Lions. Telstra Media. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  16. ^ "Tom Cutler Departs". Brisbane Lions. Telstra Media. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  17. ^ "AFL Draft 2019: Deven Robertson finally gets his chance as Brisbane Lions pounce". The West Australian. Telstra Media. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Dow lands at Tigerland". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  19. ^ "Welcome to the Den, Brock Smith". Brisbane Lions. Telstra Media. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Welcome to the Den, Keidean Coleman". Brisbane Lions. Telstra Media. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  21. ^ "Ralphsmith to Richmond". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
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