Tropical Cyclone Alfred to force the AFL to make a huge change as storm threatens to wreak havoc in Brisbane
While Brisbane residents are stripping shelves of groceries and depots of sandbags to prepare for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the AFL is dragging the chain on a decision over the Lions season-opener – and the club isn’t happy.
The AFL is expected to postpone both Opening Round games in Queensland due to the cyclone following an announcement from the Queensland Government at 11am AEST.
Alfred could intensify into a category-two system, with winds at the centre of the cyclone currently at 95km/h and gusts of up to 130km/h.
The cyclone could also bring up to 600 millimetres of rain per day.
It is unprecedented territory for many in the region, which last experienced a tropical cyclone in 1974.
The Brisbane Lions are calling for the AFL to postpone their Thursday night match against Geelong at the Gabba, but the league is playing a waiting game with a decision to be made on Thursday afternoon at the 11th hour.
Queensland premier David Crisafulli has urged all sporting organisations, from grassroots to first grade, to prepare for the cyclone.
“We are urging them (sporting groups) to make a call and communicate that (decision),” Crisafulli said.
“Today is Monday and I am mindful there are some significant things happening in the second half of the week so we are working with all of those sporting groups, clubs and the venues to allow them to make those communications.”
But with the AFL delaying its decision, Lions players have to divide their time between protecting their homes and families and training for a big match that – at this stage – is still going ahead.
‘Players and staff are tonight sandbagging their houses to await Cyclone Alfred & are in no place mentally to prepare for a game,’ Fox Footy and Herald Sun analyst Jon Ralph posted on social media platform X.
‘The AFL could postpone it until this Sunday or the Sunday of Round 3.’
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said the league was in discussions with authorities and would be guided by them on a final decision.
“There are [replacement] options with byes and the like but at this stage the game is scheduled for Thursday night,” Dillon said.
“The deadline [for a decision] will be when we know what is actually going to happen [with the weather] because at the moment we are talking about forecasts.
“Those forecasts have changed [in the last 24 hours] so we will continue to work with the Queensland Government and the [weather] bureau on that.”
But it may be already too late for some players to prepare, with Brisbane residents reporting widespread panic shopping and council putting up the closed signs at sandbag depots because of unprecedented demand.
‘An incredible 74,000 sandbags were collected on Monday, which is the highest daily demand in Council history,’ Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner posted to Facebook.
‘This easily exceeds the daily supply of sandbags during the 2022 flood, which saw a peak of 37,000 sandbags distributed in a single day.’
Dillon said at Monday’s season launch media conference in Sydney that contingency plans are in place if the game has to be moved. Both teams have byes in round three.
