Brisbane Lions GM Football, David Noble, told The Roar Deal that last week was his toughest in football following the AFL’s suspension of the season and subsequent standing down of staff. 

Noble, who was Head of Football at the Adelaide Crows when they went through the death of Senior Coach Phil Walsh in 2015, said that the scale of what was currently happening within the Club and broader League made it a really difficult time to navigate.

Recounting the events of last week, he emphasised the speed with which the situation progressed; from finding out the season had been suspended at halftime during their Round 1 match against Hawthorn, to telling players and Senior Coach Chris Fagan after the game, then jumping on a bus to the airport and booking players on flights home before they even took off to fly back to Brisbane that evening – it was a whirlwind.

“The feeling was very much frustration and helplessness last week” he said; however he was feeling better about things this week with a bit more of an understanding of the situation and the steps in place to help staff and players through this time.

Whilst a dozen or so players have headed back to their home states, the skeleton staff that remains at the Club are keeping connected with the playing group through regular Zoom meetings and their dedicated WhatsApp group.

“There’s still that accountability of the group to stay fit and follow their individual plans so that when footy does return we are ready to go” he said.

“We’re trying to maintain a bit of normality and routine, not just from a fitness point of view but from a mental wellbeing point of view as well.”

The players are also having more input into the Club’s communications with members and fans, contributing ideas around how we can stay engaged and provide interesting content for them while they’re at home in isolation.

“We’ve got a regular meeting with our Captain Dayne Zorko, Mitch Robinson and our GM Marketing on a Monday where we spitball ideas for the week” said Noble. 

“The players are really keen stay connected with our members and fans while they’re away from the Club so you’ll see that additional involvement from them across all of our Club channels and in the media.”