"There's plenty of spin-doctoring going on over Brisbane's games in Melbourne. I did a bit of homework and looked back at the time when Brisbane merged with Fitzroy in 1996 and part of the agreement was that Brisbane should play as many games as possible in Melbourne each year with a minimum of six.

There was no time limit. That agreement specified that the games should be at either Optus Oval or the MCG, and obviously it was before the creation of Colonial Stadium/Telstra Dome.

We all know that Melbourne has been selling home games to Brisbane. That results in just five Brisbane games in Victoria this year. I was surprised to hear a TV report the other day that said the Lions were supposedly wearing an alternative "Lion" jumper on the weekend in protest about the lack of games scheduled in Victoria.

Outwardly the Lions are blaming the AFL for not fixturing an extra game for them in Melbourne, even though it was the Lions themselves who created the situation by purchasing the Demons game each year. The AFL isn't overly fussed about enforcing the six-game part of the 1996 agreement and is reluctant to do Brisbane any favours, especially after last year's blue over the Cadbury-Schweppes sponsorship deal.

Brisbane would like to play six in Melbourne because it would probably mean one less trip to Perth or Adelaide. The losers are the diehard Lions fans in Victoria. The old Fitzroy Football Club is still an official entity and would be prepared to enforce the original agreement about the minimum six games if it is not met in the future. "