Earlier this month, the Brisbane Lions Board reported back to members on the progress of reviewing our new Training and Administration Facility made by the committee assembled to examine the issue – CEO Greg Swann and the three Directors not involved in the original decision, Andrew Wellington, Sarah Kelly and Leigh Matthews.

The Club called for questions from members – read on as CEO Greg Swann answers those queries.

1. Regarding the availability of funding and financial impact, could you elaborate on where any potential funding would come from? Would it be State Government assistance only, or are there other funding possibilities?

The bulk of the funding will have to come from government, with the Council, the AFL and ourselves also contributing. It’s up to the Club to work with representatives at local, State and Federal levels – as well as the AFL – to get that deal done. From what we have discovered so far, our ability to attract funding will depend in part on the whether the new facility can have a wider community benefit. As well as being our home, we could also look at the facility or the area around it being a hub for a range of activities such as elite junior sports programs and community-focused programs. Governments also see benefit in partnering with other sporting organisations to secure funding, such as the Olympic Park precinct in Melbourne.

2. If and when a new facility is built, would the Club look to move everything over to the new location? So, in essence, there would be no admin or facilities in use at the Gabba at all?

If the new facility is built we would ideally move everything away from the Gabba – apart from home games of course, they will always be played at the Gabba. The team would train on the Gabba during the season as well, most likely the final session before the game. The new facility would have a Gabba-sized ground to allow us to maintain the benefits of home ground advantage.

3. Before any decision is made about the training facility, will members be informed of the possible (venues), the rankings and reasons for the best option?

Yes, the Club is committed to doing that. It will be a long process though, we want to lock down the realistic options that are practically and financially workable before going to the membership. You can be assured that members will be given full visibility before a decision is made but ultimately it is our job to make the best choice for the Club and we ask members to respect that.

4. Thank you for the update, I for one am very pleased that other options are being considered & respectfully suggest that more central accessible location on or close to a major public transport & roadway network is a much more sensible suggestion.

5. Does the club realise how far out Springfield is from Brisbane? Catching the train to the facilities is great infrastructure but has the Club considered how long fans would need to travel before and after games?

6. I love this club and the past few years have shown that many Lions members have a great passion for the standing and traditions of the Club also. Let’s continue to work together to build something that everyone can access and be proud of. For the Club to be a hub where members can regularly and easily meet outside of game days and also watch the guys train without driving miles with a cut lunch would be FANTASTIC! Let’s make it happen.

In relation to Springfield, one of the main issues that the review committee has identified is the lack of availability of affordable  land close to the centre of the city, especially the amount needed to build a quality new facility to house a professional sporting operation. It’s a similar scenario for most teams in capital cities across Australia. Nevertheless, the review committee has been impressed by the range of options that have arisen now that 18 months have passed since the original decision was made and we are looking forward to pursuing those to see which of them can progress beyond a very preliminary stage. We'll keep members up to date as those options progress further.

7. Can the facilities already available to the Club be upgraded, especially Coorparoo?

The cost of renovation is substantial and Coorparoo is on a flood plain. It appears that the Council and Governments do not see Coorparoo as a long term facility for the Club.

8. Is there any consideration to building the ETAF at the old QEII Stadium? From a member’s point of view, it within close proximity to both our Social Club at Springwood and our Home Ground the Gabba.

QSAC (as QEII is now known) was one of the final candidates 18 months ago, so we are examining options in relation to that venue. Once the exact details of funding are worked out and due diligence is completed by the review committee, then we can tell members more about the main venues being considered. However, QSAC is being considered again.

9. Why don’t the Lions and the Brisbane Roar look to develop a joint facility? My husband and I are members of the Roar as well and are well aware they too are looking to develop a home. It would seem ideal as it would strengthen both teams and codes.

It makes a lot of sense to work with other major sporting bodies and that is something we are exploring across a range of other sports. In relation to the Roar, they have just finished a new headquarters at Perry Park at Bowen Hills, having spent the past few years at Ballymore. Given the timing of their season, we are always looking to work with them on cross-promotion of our codes.