The Brisbane Lions are so furious over reports of the scandal surrounding their stars’ end-of-season trip to Las Vegas that they are threatening to boycott two major media outlets.
Club chief executive Greg Swann responded to suggestions that the scandal had divided the playing group and played a role in the team’s shocking 0-3 start to the year after what he called “poor, insensitive and objective” reporting. incorrect” about the end of last year. seasonal trip.
A Lions star’s relationship reportedly ended when one of the players on the trip accidentally synced his WhatsApp group chat to iCloud on his phone, giving his partner access to what was described as compromising content.
It has also been reported that more than one relationship was affected by the leak and that teammates have had “difficult conversations” with each other as a result.
Compromising photos of 10 Lions players’ trip to Las Vegas last year were accidentally leaked, and the fallout has led the club to make an extraordinary threat (pictured, Lions stars in the United States. WhatsNew2Day Australia does not suggest that anyone in the photo is involved in any untoward acts). behavior)
A player on the trip reportedly accidentally leaked content to his partner via WhatsApp, causing at least one star’s relationship to end as a result.
Photos from the trip have since appeared on social media. WhatsNew2Day Australia is not suggesting that any of the players featured in this article were involved in the reported fallout from the trip to Las Vegas.
Now the team is considering taking the drastic step of banning its players from speaking to a major newspaper and radio station.
“The Brisbane Lions are considering boycotting not only the Herald Sun but also 3AW for an indefinite period for Herald Sun and 3AW reporting,” Nine journalist Tom Morris said. Ranked football.
‘The club is angrier at the Herald Sun, the players are angrier at 3AW.
“They will weigh it in the next 48 hours.”
The group of 10 visiting Las Vegas included Brisbane players Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage, Lincoln McCarthy, Zac Bailey, Jaxon Prior and Cameron Rayner.
Co-captain Harris Andrews, who was not on the trip to Las Vegas, has poured cold water on reports that his teammates are at odds over the fallout from the scandal.
Lions general manager of football Danny Daly (pictured) hit out at speculation about the scandal before the club threatened two major media outlets with a boycott.
Veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson confirmed on 3AW Radio that some players left the end-of-season trip early.
“Some photographs, nothing very incriminating, but some photographs that the partners didn’t like could have been accidentally sent home,” Wilson said.
‘Some players went home early as a result of this and at least one key player and his partner have (since) parted ways.
‘Whether that was simply because of what happened on the trip or not, I don’t know.
‘It is also true that some players were not happy to have been exposed.
“Danny Daly, the Lions’ head of football, as a result of reports and rumours, on Monday called (co-captain) Harris Andrews and he called Lachie Neale and said, ‘Look, you have to be honest with me. “Is there something to this? Is there a division in the gaming group, are people getting sad?”
“The two leaders vehemently denied it.”
On Sunday, Lions co-captain Harris Andrews, who was not on the trip, dismissed speculation that the fallout had divided players.
“There’s never any tension… there’s nothing to worry about,” he said.
Brisbane have had a shocking start to the season, losing three games in a row, but the club has denied that the trip to Las Vegas caused tensions in the playing group (pictured, the Brisbane stars after their loss to Collingwood)
‘There has been a massive explosion (externally) in the last few days, but as a group we are united, all in this together.
“We can’t control what other people say… we haven’t had the start we wanted and people go off the rails and think about the reasons why we started this way.”
Lions CEO Greg Swann also insisted the group of players remains united.
‘Is there a split in a group?’ Well, no, there isn’t,” Swann said.
It’s pure nonsense. There is no division in the group. This (trip) was in November, by the way. It’s not the reason we’re not going to do well.
It’s just that some of our good guys aren’t in shape.
“We asked all the leaders again and they said, ‘No, there’s nothing at all’ in terms of a split in the group.”