Brisbane keen to add roar appeal with lion at games

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...ppeal-with-lion-at-games-20140910-10f6ru.html.

The Brisbane Lions have taken a determined lead from the AFL's push to dress up its home games and are looking to secure a live lion to parade on the Gabba arena before each local fixture.

The club's new chief executive, Greg Swann, confirmed he had assigned a member of his marketing team to investigate Southern Queensland zoos and lion parks in a bid to present the formidable new mascot in 2014.

With Port Adelaide stealing a march on the other clubs with its dramatic build-up to Adelaide Oval games, AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has urged clubs to reimagine the potential fanfare around their home games.


While several Melbourne clubs have balked at the AFL campaign, claiming they have been consistently blocked by both the league and its stadiums, Swann said he planned to roll out the captive lion after launching a competition among members and supporters to name the so-called king of the jungle.



"On the back of the AFL looking for greater supporter engagement and fan involvement, we think a lion would be a fantastic way to attract kids to the game," said Swann, "and for parents who support us looking to enjoy the Lions games with their families.

"Our members voted last year to restore the original Brisbane lion back onto our jumper as they wore in the premiership years. The fans wanted that and we think this is something they would appreciate."

Invoking memories of the famous runaway elephant at Arden Street in 1979, which wandered on to the North Melbourne oval advertising a circus where coach Ron Barassi had been due to enter a lion's cage days later, Swann insisted the Lion would be in captivity.

While the Port Adelaide home final has been lauded as a new benchmark, several Melbourne clubs have pointed out that the AFL and the MCG had not assisted higher-ranked clubs playing finals on neutral grounds.

Neither Hawthorn nor North Melbourne last weekend were given any opportunity to take over the scoreboard or provide pre-game entertainment or an on-ground presenter.

McLachlan is understood to have been enthusiastic at the prospect of Brisbane's lion. But on Wednesday he acknowledged that the competition would attempt to examine the issue of home-ground advantage during finals on what are nominally neutral grounds next season. "We are all in this together," he said. "Ourselves, the venues and the clubs have to continue to work together to create things. Right now we are at the starting line and we're excited about the opportunities."

 

Wait, what year is it again?

No zoo is going to go for this, and if they did they would get slammed for it. I doubt any stadium would allow it either. How thick are these AFL people???

 

True, and I imagine circuses would be much keener to provide a lion for this. But I don't think the AFL (or the circus) would get much positive publicity out of it.

 

Would be interesting with other sports teams such as Richmond Tigers (AFL), Cairns Taipans (NBL) and Townsville Crocodiles (NBL)!

 

A lion cub in a wig would be enough.