The following events will soon be consigned to Club history as the Lions gear up for another assault on the AFL Premiership in 2012.
The Lions will count down the 10 significant moments from 2011 throughout December, with the final instalment featuring on Friday 23 December - prior to the Club’s official closure for the New Year period.
MOMENT #2: SPIRIT THROUGH ADVERSITY
CLICK HERE to watch highlights of the Lions in their one-off 'Spirit Jumper' which was worn in recognition of the Queensland flood devastation
No one will ever forget the floods that devastated Queensland earlier this year.
Areas including Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Bundaberg, and the Lockyer Valley were inundated by a level of flooding not seen in over 30 years.
As Queensland AFL Club, the Brisbane Lions were touched by the damage and hurt that the flooding caused, and were eager to help in any way possible.
Lions players and staff visited evacuation centres, assisted in the flood clean-up, and held a number of events to raise money for those affected.
Pre-season training was put on the backburner as players visited schools across Brisbane to not only help clean-up the affected facilities, but also set up schools that would be playing host to those students who could not return to campuses because of the damage caused by the flooding.
The Lions also held a number of events, including a Community BBQ and Family Fun Day, to help raise money to donate directly to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.
Young Lions Aaron Cornelius and Bryce Retzlaff lent their ears to the Flood Relief Call Centre for the ‘Australia Unites’ telethon, while others collected supplies and sent a truck full of sporting equipment, furniture, and other essentials to the most flood-ravaged areas of North Brisbane.
But one of the Lions’ most public acts of flood recognition was during their 2011 NAB Cup opener on Friday 18 February in Melbourne when the Club wore a one-off ‘Queensland Spirit’ guernsey against both Essendon and St Kilda.
The guernseys were later auctioned off on the Club website, which helped raise over $20,000 towards flood relief.
Off the back of the Queensland Spirit guernsey, the Lions partnered with McDonald’s to launch the Queensland Community Grant initiative, which offered eligible clubs throughout the State the opportunity to apply for a one-off cash or equipment grant up to the value of $10,000.
Senior Coach Michael Voss said the destructive events that transpired in Queensland at the beginning of 2011 certainly helped put some things into perspective.
“While we've been shocked about what's been going on, we're also being inspired by the way that people are getting behind one another," Voss said.
"We all have personal friends and family that have been affected by it and we just can't believe the enormity of what we've seen."
But amidst the devastation were stories of courage, determination, generosity and overwhelming community spirit - all stirring values which have helped speed up Queensland’s ongoing recovery.
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RELATED LINKS
Lions launch Queensland spirit guernsey
Lions support flood relief
Helping flood aftermath a priority
Lions join school clean-up
PREVIOUS MOMENTS
#10: CELEBRATING GREATNESS
#9: BLOODING YOUNG CUBS
#8: HISTORY ON SHOW
#7: QCLASH REVENGE
#6: CHARMAN BOWS OUT
#5: YOUNG LIONS COMMIT
#4: ROCKLIFF CROWNED
#3: A BAD BREAK
