The Brisbane Lions have outlined the case they believe can withstand a legal challenge to their new lion logo and prevent the club losing millions of dollars.

The Lions have received a letter from the Fitzroy Football Club, who say they will seek a Victorian Supreme Court ban on the AFL club's latest logo, unveiled in October.

Documents are expected to be lodged with the court next week.

But the Lions are standing firm, saying they will "vigorously defend" themselves against any legal challenge.

They say that if the challenge succeeds and they have to revert to their former logo, it will cost the club, the AFL and its licensees "$1.9 million to $4.5 million".

The new image has been dubbed the "Paddlepop Lion" by disgruntled Fitzroy supporters, who say it is illegal under the agreement formed when Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears merged to become the Brisbane Lions in 1996.

Their case rests on a clause in the merger contract, stating that "the logo of the merged club will be the Fitzroy lion logo in perpetuity".

But the Lions say the contract did not specify that it must always be the exact logo that was in place at the time of the merger.

"The Brisbane Lions believe the proposed court proceedings are unnecessary as we are fully supportive and compliant with the merger arrangements," the club said in a statement.

"The Brisbane Lions will remain the Lions in perpetuity so any court proceedings will only serve to waste member funds."

The statement included a list of 19 points attempting to justify their legal right to switch logos, including the fact that they had already once changed their logo since the merger, without any objection from Fitzroy.

They also said it was "normal commercial football practice" to change logos from time to time and the AFL had approved the switch.

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