Brisbane Lions CEO Greg Swann denies wild Las Vegas trip is the reason for stuttering start to AFL season – as crisis meeting is revealed following leaked WhatsApp group chat
Brisbane Lions CEO Greg Swann has denied suggestions a wild trip to Las Vegas last November was the reason for the stuttering start to the 2024 AFL season – as a leaked WhatsApp group chat threatens to cause chaos.
Swann’s denial comes despite a Good Friday crisis meeting involving the club’s leadership group.
According to News Corpthe meeting addressed the “rifts” unfolding in Sin City, with the traveling party consisting of about 10 people, mostly players.
It is understood that a member who traveled to the US accidentally uploaded a WhatsApp group chat to iCloud on his phone.
That person’s partner then went to the WhatsApp group chat at home, detailing what was happening abroad.
Brisbane Lions CEO Greg Swann has denied suggestions that a wild trip to Las Vegas last November is the reason for the team’s stuttering start to the 2024 season
The denial comes despite a crisis meeting organized by the club’s leadership group on Good Friday (co-captain Lachie Neale is pictured) – Ny Breaking Australia does not suggest he is in any way involved in the reported fallout from the Vegas trip
Those messages were then shared with other partners, who were said to be outraged by some of the wild antics outlined in the group chat.
Veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson confirmed on 3AW Radio that some players left the end-of-season trip early.
“Some photos – nothing very incriminating – but some photos that partners weren’t happy with may have been sent home by mistake,” Wilson said.
‘Some players went home early as a result and at least one key player and his partner have (now) split up.
‘I don’t know whether that was purely because of what happened during the trip.
‘It is also true that some players were not happy about being exposed.
‘Danny Daly, the head of footy at the Lions, following the reporting and the rumors on Monday, he called (co-captain) Harris Andrews and he called Lachie Neale and he said, ‘Look, you’ve got to be honest with me, is something wrong?’ in this? Is there a split in the playing group, are people turning blue?’
“The two leaders strongly denied this.”
Shattered Lions stars leave the field after their loss to Collingwood on Thursday evening. Ny Breaking Australia is not suggesting any of these players are involved in the shocking report of an end-of-year trip to Las Vegas
Lions chief executive Swann also emphasized that the playing group remains united.
‘Is there a split in a group?’ Well, no, it’s not,” Swann said.
‘They’re just bulls***. There is no division in the group. By the way, this (trip) was in November. It’s not the reason we’re not doing well.
“It’s just that some of our good guys are out of shape. “We asked all the leaders again and they said, ‘No, there is no way at all’ in terms of a split in the group.”
On Friday, a report claimed some Brisbane Lions stars have split with their partners due to the messy fallout from the end-of-season trip – and teammates are having “tough conversations” with each other as a result.
Footy reporter Sam McLure raised the claims on the radio station 3AWteam sources say the playing group remains on the same page despite the drama.
“From what people within the club have told me, there has certainly been a few headaches since the trip to America at the end of last year between 10 players, a fair proportion of which were Brisbane players,” McClure said.
‘It ended in Las Vegas and some information got to loved ones, but it didn’t go down very well.
‘It has caused rifts in some relationships. It has caused other relationships between players and partners to end.
“In fact, there have been suggestions made to me today that it has led to some difficult conversations between teammates about what happened on that US trip.”
Lions coach Chris Fagan (pictured) says there is no easy way out of the team’s dip in form which has seen them lose two from two at home this year after going unbeaten at the Gabba for the entire 2023 season.
After the season-opening defeat to Carlton, Lions superstar Neale unleashed an unusual outburst as he accused some players of ‘shaking’ their teammates.
“(There was) a bit of selfishness… we probably took some easy options,” he said after the Blues came roaring back from a big deficit to win.
“We didn’t look into it and you’re actually making fun of your teammates.”
After Thursday night’s defeat to Collingwood – Brisbane’s third on the trot – coach Chris Fagan admitted they were in a “little slump” and it was his job to help his players rediscover the magic of their matchday.
He also admitted that the answer to their shocking form is “not obvious.”
“Some of our players are not at their best at the moment; I can’t tell you why,” he said.
‘That’s sport for you. ‘It’s a nice challenge. You talk to them about what they are good at and reinforce that.
‘Form comes and goes. So it’s just positivity, but also honesty. They have been good players, we will not press the panic button.
“I’ve trusted them for a long time and they’ve delivered, so I’m not going to jump off them just because we’ve lost three in a row.”