Former Brisbane Lions best and fairest winner Mitch Robinson says he’ll never watch his former AFL side live again after being refused entry into the rooms after the game on Saturday night.
Robinson played 147 games for the Lions between 2015 and 2022, winning the Merrett-Murray Medal in his first year at the club, a year after being discarded by Carlton.
He became a key contributor to Brisbane’s resurgence from the bottom of the ladder to become the consistent finals team it has been since 2019.
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The Tasmanian-born 35-year-old has even remained in Brisbane with his young family in retirement, and is still close with a large percentage of the playing group.
But Robinson was devastated on Saturday night when his family was denied entry into the club rooms after the Lions’ thumping elimination final win over his other former side, Carlton.
“Imagine playing and bleeding for a club for eight years, copping copious amounts of head knocks and staples in my face (long term effects) just to have my family turned away to come down to the rooms after the game to celebrate with my old teammates,” he said at 11.09pm on Saturday night.
“Football is a fake family, just remember that. I’ll never go to a Lions game again.”
It left a sour taste in the former AFL veteran’s mouth after an otherwise exciting night.
Robinson had posted on social media in the lead-up to the game, which was Brisbane and Carlton’s second final against each other in two years, after last year’s preliminary final.
“Tonight’s the night, these two clubs are building a little finals rivalry!!” he wrote.
“I think Brissy gets the win at home, settled team, climatised to warm conditions and if they kick straight it could be a blow out. Praying for a close, tough game though.
“Who you think gets up?”
Robinson hosts a podcast with fellow former Lions teammate, Rhys Mathieson.
The pair regularly show their support for Brisbane and their former teammates still at the club, who speak affectionately about the two cult heroes’ influence on the Lions.
The Lions will play Greater Western Sydney next Saturday for a spot in a preliminary final against Geelong after ending the Blues’ fluctuating season with a 14.15 (99) to 11.5 (71) win.
The hosts kicked the first nine goals and notched the first 60 points of the contest, leaving the Blues as the first team not to score in the opening quarter of a finals game since 1974.
The inside-50 count was evenly split (56-56), but Brisbane’s centre-square dominance and delivery was far superior as Carlton stumbled towards half-time still searching for a point.
Patrick Cripps’ snap for goal with five minutes remaining in the term meant they avoided becoming the first scoreless team after two terms in AFL history.
The margin was 47 at the main break, only one more than the deficit the Blues pulled back in an unbelievable Opening Round win at the same venue.
And a miraculous repeat briefly looked possible as the Blues kicked five goals in 15 minutes.
The lead was 31 when the Lions butchered two brilliant chances to stop the rot, first Logan Morris hitting the post from directly in front, then Zac Bailey being run down when he received the ball in an open goal.
Callum Ah Chee’s goal soon afterwards settled any nerves, the Lions up by 40 points at the final break, only for the Blues to kick the game’s last three goals to complete the see-sawing contest.
“That’s probably the best footy we’ve played this year for 50, 55 minutes,” Lions coach Chris Fagan said, dismissing the significance of the Blues’ fightback.
“We wanted to try and get them on the back foot early … didn’t think we’d do it as well as that.
“It was a pretty emphatic performance.”
Jack Payne, returning from a foot injury, was substituted out with a knee injury that will require scans, but Fagan said there was optimism the key forward could still face the Giants on Saturday.
Dayne Zorko (29 disposals), Will Ashcroft (20) and Lachie Neale (27) were all superb for the hosts, while Cameron Rayner flew spectacularly for a mark that led to the second of his three goals.
– With AAP
