Dear Lions Members,

Easter is typically a time we look forward to with a sense of anticipation and joy. Whether it be working out how to get to the Gabba for an Easter Thursday blockbuster against Collingwood, planning the long weekend away or just coming together with family and friends it is normally a great time for us all.

So it is a bit strange this year to be writing this update for Members when most of us will have no choice but to stay at home and spend it with immediate family, friends or housemates only. If you are someone who is out of the house over Easter, it probably means you are providing an essential service to the community, which we are all grateful for.
 
While it might not be the Easter we planned or hoped for, in the current circumstances if we are fortunate enough to enjoy good health and company with family, we should consider that a blessing.

A lot has happened at the Club in the relatively short time since the 2020 AFL season was suspended. The season suspension and social isolation measures which required the closure of our Springwood Social Club, significantly curtailed the income our club needs to survive.

Unfortunately, we had no choice but to stand down over 85% of our staff until at least 31 May. Those staff remaining are working on reduced hours. The intention is to have a skeleton staff that is able to maintain some essential services such as respond to member’s queries, as well as manage our various other ongoing activities which include managing (from afar) fitness programs for players, our ongoing financial reporting obligations and maintaining some media and digital presence for our fans.

You will have also read that our players, along with all other AFL players, have agreed to a 50% reduction in their pay to 31 May and following that, it may reduce further if no games are being played. Although they are not able to attend the Club or train in groups, the players are working hard on fitness programs wherever they are and there is an expectation that our players will return to the Club with sufficient fitness to allow them to play competitive AFL games in a fairly short period of time after returning. Our players have also been generous with their time in sharing insights into their time in isolation, what they are up to and how they are keeping fit.  

So unfortunately, every one of our valued Club employees have suffered a significant reduction in their income, both players and non-playing staff. I am very grateful for the way all our staff have responded to this crisis, there have been numerous examples of staff making significant sacrifices and going out of their way to support one another.

While that is extremely difficult for everyone involved, we also appreciate it is not just our Club that is impacted. Many people working in industries such as hospitality, retail and entertainment have also felt the effects of this pandemic and of course, the front-line medical workers in our community are under immense strain.

The Directors and Executive of your Club are working very hard to ensure the Brisbane Lions survive these challenges. Even with the significant reduction in staff costs, the remaining staff costs and other unavoidable costs of keeping the Club together will require access to financial support.

To assist in our survival, we have entered into a Funding Agreement with the AFL. All AFL Clubs have entered into such an agreement. Our agreement is on the basis we are an ‘Assisted Club’, which is the category we expect the majority of Clubs to fall into.  This means the AFL will provide us with financial support to meet our obligations. However any funds required, other than player salaries, will be provided as a loan. Therefore, it is important we minimise as much as possible the funds we need to draw down from the AFL, so we can minimise the additional debt we accrue.
 
Our small existing cash reserves are being utilised first. Utilising those funds to meet our unpaid creditors and then reduced existing expenses is an important factor in minimising the debt we will owe at the end of this disruption. I know it is a difficult time for everyone, but those membership funds are critically important for our Club.  

If members are able to leave their membership funds with us, that provides very tangible support for us. If people are able to, you can also support us by purchasing merchandise through the online store which is still operating or encouraging family and friends who aren’t members to sign up for a supporter membership. A supporter membership does not include the cost of game access but does provide a financial contribution to the Club. Of course, I appreciate some people will be experiencing financial hardship and if that is the case please reach out to our membership team to discuss your circumstances.  

We hold separate additional funds that have been raised to develop our boutique stadium and training and administration facility, The Reserve Community Arena at Springfield. Those funds have been provided specifically to be utilised in the development of The Reserve and under the terms of the Grants for the provision of those funds they cannot be used to fund the general operations of the Club. Therefore, those funds will remain quarantined from the broader operations of the Club. We are, with the limited resources we have operating at present, continuing work on The Reserve and site earthworks are now complete. While we will be prudent and consider what, if any, implications the current crisis has for the configuration of our planned new facilities, we remain fully committed to the development of The Reserve. With the cost savings to the Club and commercial opportunities it presents, these current circumstances make the long-term case for The Reserve even more compelling.

Pleasingly, a planned refurbishment of the Gabba by the Queensland Government is also proceeding as planned and fans can expect to see updates on the significant improvements to our home ground now that works have commenced.

We will continue to keep you up to date with what is happening at the Club. A big thank you to our scaled back digital team who are showing what great things can be done with very limited resources.  

Finally, like all of you, I look forward to the day we can get back to the football. I am not sure when it will be, but that day will come and the Brisbane Lions will be there.  

In the meantime, take care of yourselves and your families so when the time is right we can all come together again, fit and well, to cheer on the Mighty Lions!

Have a safe and happy Easter.

Thank you and Go Lions!