Brisbane star Hugh McCluggage has revealed he called former teammate Jaxon Prior to apologise for the club listing his girlfriend as his only strength on the leaked whiteboard outlining strengths and weaknesses of Essendon players.
The whiteboard, which leaked on Friday, had scathing assessments of Bombers players, as well as strengths to watch out for during their match in round eight.
But next to Prior, his only listed strength was “Bronte”; his girlfriend Bronte Thompson.
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Bronte Thompson and Jaxon Prior at the 2024 Brisbane B&F. Instagram
The midfielder was drafted by the Lions in 2019 and played 39 games for the club before requesting a trade to Essendon at the end of 2024.
Thompson and Prior attended the Brisbane best and fairest together in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Speaking on Tuesday, McCluggage said he has spoken personally to the pair in the aftermath.
“If we had our time again we wouldn’t have involved his partner in it – it’s as simple as that,” the Brisbane star told reporters.
“But things stand in a really good place. I’ve called him and have spoken to him about his partner as well, and we’ll leave it at that out of respect for the two of them.”
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said he also spoke to Prior about the situation after the game, denying there were any ill-feelings.
“I spoke to Jaxon out on the field after the game, as did a lot of our players. We had a bit of a laugh and a joke together. I’m happy for you to go and ask Jaxon what he thinks,” Fagan said on Saturday.
“I’m not going to comment on individual things that were written up on that board. But remember, that player played at our club. The players all know him and we know his partner as well. There was nothing badly intended at all with that comment. Not at all. Zero.”
Bronte Thompson and Jaxon Prior at the 2025 Essendon B&F. Instagram
Thompson works as a model and separately as an account coordinator in Victoria.
While Fagan was defensive about the whiteboard leak and heaped the blame on the fan who took the photo, McCluggage was more retrospective on Tuesday.
“It’s obviously regrettable that got out, it wasn’t meant to be in the public,” McCluggage said.
“It was pretty strange when you win a game and come off the ground, and there are guys getting worded up about what’s going to get asked. It’s something we haven’t dealt with before.
“We’ll learn from it. Privacy and security needs to be lifted around the place.”
It’s been a tough week for the Lions, with 2025 draftee Koby Evans admitting guilt to using a homophobic slur during a VFL game.
Hugh McCluggage of the Lions. Getty
“We’ve seen these instances in the AFL industry, but I don’t think it’s isolated to that,” McCluggage said of Evans.
“I think leaders in every walk of life have a responsibility to call this behaviour and language out.
“At the end of the day, we want to create environments where everyone feels welcome, everyone feels safe, and we’re probably not where we want to be as a society yet in that area.”
Brisbane hosts Carlton at the Gabba on Friday night.