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Brisbane were forced to slash 75 jobs on football’s Black Monday as the AFL’s shutdown financially cripples the industry.

Lions chief executive Greg Swann said the day after the AFL’s decision to halt the season until at least May 31 was “horrible”.

The AFL and its 18 clubs stood down around 80 per cent of their workforce on Monday in anticipation of a fall in revenue of up to $1 billion this year caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“No doubt that was the worst day in my working life. We stood down about 75 people,” Swann told 3AW.

“Even the way we had to do it because you can’t bring anyone in with the rules around viruses.

“You had to do it via webcam which makes it pretty impersonal so it was a horrible day.

“Nobody got stood down because they weren’t doing a good job, the virus is like a wrecking ball that’s come through and crunched everything.”

But Swann said the club had already managed find some jobs for its redundant employees.

Even before the season was postponed, Swann estimated the Lions could suffer a $5 million loss this year if games were played behind closed doors.

– AAP