Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has questioned the AFL's "unusual" choice of a noon timeslot for the Lions home clash with West Coast.
With the game starting at 12:10pm local time, numerous players were struck with cramps and fatigued from the muggy conditions, with players often rotating an ice-pack jacket on the interchange bench to cool themselves down.
Temperatures soared to nearly 30 degrees in the blazing sun, while the humidity average for the afternoon was approximately 76 per cent.
West Coast were notably shorthanded in the ruck in the last quarter after Bailey Williams was substituted off at three-quarter-time due to his own exhaustion, while his backup Archer Reid succumbed to cramps just minutes into the final term.
The conditions are no outlier for March weather in Brisbane, leaving Fagan puzzled over why the AFL would schedule the match for the early afternoon when temperatures and humidity reach their peak.
"It's a bit unusual to be playing a game at midday in Brisbane," Fagan said.
"It's always going to be hot early in the year. I don't know the reasoning behind it, but I think it's pretty tough on players to expect them to be playing in the middle of the day like that.
"You need to ask the AFL about it. I don't think I've ever been involved in an AFL game that's started at 12 o'clock, ever.
"That's 20-odd years. Unusual, but ask the AFL."
Fagan said he noticed both clubs' players were physically wrecked at each quarter's break, indicating the fierce weather conditions of the match.
"They were pretty cooked. You could tell just walking out on the ground afterwards, players from both teams were absolutely exhausted," Fagan said.
"[There was] probably a record number of cramps. I haven't seen that many of our blokes struggle with that like they did today.
"We've had two hot games in a row now, so I'm not sure we'll be doing too much training this week. We might be recovering and trying to get ready for Geelong."
Brisbane's next match against the Cats is anticipated to provide slightly more reprieve, with the Lions playing a night game with temperature forecast to be in the mid-20s.
