The 2020 season was the 24th season in which the Brisbane Lions have participated in the VFL/AFL.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic The 2020 season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was formally declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020, eight days prior to the scheduled start of the AFL premiership season and 18 days prior to the final round of the AFL season.
AFL Prior to the commencement of the season, the fixture was shortened from 22 matches per team to 17, under the expectation that matches would be forced to stop at the peak of the disease.
The season commenced on 19 March as originally scheduled, but the introduction of restrictions (and later of formal quarantines) on interstate travel, resulted in suspension of the season after round one. During that round, matches were played in empty stadiums for the first time in the league's history.
Throughout the season, matches were played for a shortened length of 16 minutes plus time on per quarter, instead of 20 minutes plus time on. This was originally done at the start of the season, in the hope that playing shorter games could facilitate more frequent games than weekly, maximising the games which could be played before the anticipated suspension of the season. Though the initial run of games lasted just one week, the shortened game time was retained after the season's resumption to allow make-up games to be more easily scheduled between rounds when matches were postponed or refixtured.
On 15 May, as most states began easing restrictions, the league's plan to resume the season was announced: clubs began non-contact training from 18 May, and full contact training from 25 May, ahead of resuming competitive matches from 11 June, with the revised fixture released gradually throughout the year, and changing regularly and often at short notice when the situation forced it.
The sizes of allowable crowds changed as the season progressed, with early season Queensland and New South Wales crowds limited to only a few hundred, while half crowds were allowed in the largely virus-free Western Australia from Round 7.
Following a virus outbreak in Melbourne in June, Richmond's base of operations was relocated to the Gold Coast, alongside all nine other Victorian clubs. The club played the remainder of their home games in the state, other than when travelling to other virus-free locations.
AFL 2019 off-season list changes Retirements and delistings Player ReasonClub gamesCareer games RefTom CutlerTraded6666Lewis TaylorTraded112112Luke HodgeRetired41346Ben KeaysDelisted3030Josh WalkerDelisted5285Ryan BastinacDelisted43164Nick RobertonDelisted7373
Free agency Date PlayerFree Agent TypeFormer Club New ClubCopmensationRef 5 October Cam Ellis-Yolmen Unrestricted 3rd round 10 October Grant Birchall Unrestricted None
Trades Date GainedLostTrade Partnerref 16 October Pick 48 Lewis Taylor 16 October Pick 72 Tom Cutler & Pick 64
National Draft RoundOverall pickPlayerStatePositionTeam FromLeague FromRef 1 22 Deven Robertson WA Midfielder Perth WAFL 2 33 Brock Smith VIC Defender Gippsland Power NAB League 2 37 Keidean Coleman QLD Forward Brisbane Lions academy NEAFL 4 59 Jaxon Prior WA Defender West Perth Football Club WAFL
Rookie Elevations PlayerMitch HingeOscar McInerney
2020 squad
2020 season Marsh Community Series Match Date Score Opponent Opponent's score Result Home/away Venue Attendance 1 Sunday 23 February, 3:10pm 12.5 (77) 14.14 (98) Lost by 22 points Home Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex, Burpengary2,027 - 2 Sunday 8 March, 6:40pm 10.6 (66) 16.15 (111) Won by 45 points Away Ikon Park, Carlton North 7,148
Home and away season Round Date Score Opponent Opponent's score Result Home/away Venue Attendance Ladder 1 Sunday, 22 March, 3:35pm 19.8 (62) 14.6 (90) Lost by 28 points Away MCG 0 15th 2 Saturday 13 June, 1:45pm 12.9 (81) 10.9 (69) Won by 12 points Home The Gabba 0 11th 3 Saturday 20 June, 7:40pm 10.17 (74) 6.8 (44) Won by 30 points Home The Gabba 1,965 5th 4 Sunday 28 June, 3:35pm 10.23 (83) 7.4 (46) Won by 37 points Home The Gabba 7,354 3rd 5 Saturday 4 July, 7:40pm 12.13 (85) 6.12 (48) Won by 37 points Home The Gabba 10,161 2nd 6 Thursday 9 July, 7:40pm 6.10 (46) 11.7 (73) Lost by 27 points Away SCG 1,311 3rd 7 Saturday 18 July, 1:45pm 13.10 (88) 10.8 (68) Won by 20 points Away GIANTS Stadium 3,168 2nd 8Sunday 26 July, 6:10pm 7.11 (53) 7.7 (49) Won by 4 points Away Metricon Stadium 3,011 2nd 9 Friday, 31 July, 8:10 pm 14.7 (91) 3.10 (28) Won by 63 points Away Metricon Stadium 4,860 2nd 10 Tuesday, 4 August, 7:10 pm 4.17 (41) 12.10 (82) Lost by 41 points Away Metricon Stadium 5,651 2nd 11 Saturday 8 August, 7:40pm 14.12 (96) 11.6 (72) Won by 24 points Home The Gabba 11, 061 2nd 12 Monday 17 August, 7:10pm 7.11 (53) 8.4 (52) Won by 1 points Away Metricon Stadium 2,722 2nd 13 Sunday, 23 August, 3:35 pm 6.14 (50) 7.6 (48) Won by 2 points Home The Gabba 13,750 2nd 14BYE 2nd 15 Friday, 4 September, 7:50 pm 6.6 (42) 5.4 (34) Won by 8 points Home The Gabba 15,036 2nd 16 Wednesday, 9 September, 7:10pm 13.10 (88) 6.7 (43) Won by 45 points Home The Gabba 11,292 2nd 17 Sunday, 13 September, 6:10 pm 11.7 (73) 6.5 (41) Won by 32 points Away Cazalys Stadium 3,700 2nd 18 Saturday 19 September, 7:40pm 11.12 (78) 10.1 (61) Won by 17 points Home The Gabba 14,563 2nd
Finals Match Date Score Opponent Opponent's Score Result Home/Away Venue Attendance Qualifying final Friday 2 October, 7:50pm 10.9 (69) 8.6 (54) Won by 15 points Home The Gabba 22,104 Preliminary final Saturday 17 October, 6:40pm6.6(42) Geelong 11.16 (82) Lost by 40 points Home The Gabba29,121
Awards Season Leaders PlayerNumberAFL Rank Disposals Lachie Neale4871st Goals Charlie Cameron298th Centre ClearancesLachie Neale425th MarksEric Hipwood7639th KicksJarryd Lyons2495th TacklesDayne Zorko7323rd SpoilsHarris Andrews1383rd HitoutsOscar McInerney3427th
League awards All-Australian team PlayerPositionAppearance Named Harris AndrewsFull Back2nd Named Lachie NealeMidfield2ndNominatedHugh McCluggage--
22 Under 22 team PlayerPositionAppearance Named Hugh McCluggage Wing 2nd Nominated Zac Bailey - -
Notes
References
External links Brisbane Lions Official AFL Site Official Site of the Australian Football League