A bout of gastro might have floored a number of Brisbane Lions last weekend, but the illness won’t have any lasting effects beyond the Bye.

Illness forced the Lions’ past two Merrett-Murray Medallists, Joel Patfull and Tom Rockliff, to withdraw late from last Saturday’s match against North Melbourne, while limited emergencies meant a sick Dayne Zorko still had to take his place in the side.

Physical Performance Manager Brett Burton, of the Bupa Recovery Team, explained that football clubs are not immune to everyday viruses.

“We had the gastro bug go through. It’s just that time of the year coming into winter when the general community get viruses – whether it’s a cold, the flu, or gastro,” Burton told LIONS TV as part of the Bupa Recovery report.

“We’re no different at a footy club and it’s easy to transfer those viruses around because (the players operate) in a close environment.

“We quarantine guys when we can, but sometimes they get symptoms where they can’t play.

“Zorks wasn’t as bad as Rockliff and Patfull, so he did play.”

The trio will be healthy in time for the Lions’ next match, which is against Carlton in Round 11 after the Bye.

Sam Mayes is another certain started after missing the Kangaroos match with a concussion suffered at training.

“He’s pulled up really well. It was just an accident at training, but that’s just part and parcel of what happens when you train at high intensity,” Burton said.

“He copped a hit in the head and pulled up fine.”