THE Brisbane Lions will have to rebuild without the help of a retention allowance, but AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou is confident the embattled club can rebound from its recent troubles.
In a tumultuous 2013, the Lions sacked coach Michael Voss, underwent a bitter boardroom upheaval, recorded another financial loss and finished 12th on the table.
Perhaps the biggest setback though was losing five players under the age of 21 – Jared Polec, Patrick Karnezis, Billy Longer, Sam Docherty and Elliot Yeo – who walked out citing homesickness.
Speaking on Channel 9's Footy Classified on Monday night, former captain Jonathan Brown said the Lions needed additional help.
"I think we're one of the clubs that needs equalisation because we're a small market team," Brown said.
"The basic fact of the matter is we're a small club so we're always going to have off-field issues."
The AFL has already propped up the Lions with additional funding, and Demetriou said there were no plans to return to a retention allowance that aided the club in the early 2000s.
It followed news from last week the Sydney Swans would lose their controversial cost of living allowance.
Demetriou said the best way for the Lions to turn things around was by winning on the field.
"It hasn't been discussed, hasn't been approached," Demetriou said of a possible retention allowance.
"That was disappointing … you don't want to see an exodus of players of that talent.
"Once you start winning games, players don't want to leave. They want to be part of success.
"We didn't see many players leaving Brisbane when they won premierships."
He said giving both the Lions and Gold Coast first choice of players from their respective academies would help build lists with a higher percentage of Queensland players.
"I've got a lot of confidence the Brisbane Lions can turn it around … but it's going to take time," Demetriou said.
"They're going to find it hard in the first 12 months of this turnaround, because every other club's got their foot on the pedal as well."
At the Gold Coast to launch the NAB Rising Stars Program, Demetriou said he was hopeful out-of-contract Sun Karmichael Hunt would stay in the game.
He reiterated comments from late last year the AFL would happily talk to Hunt to continue his role as an ambassador – and therefore supplement his salary – if he chose to stay.
"I hope he does (stay). He's a great person. He's been great for the club and he's great for Queensland. He's an athlete I don't know we'll see the likes of again," he said.
