As a budding father, Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown can empathise with torn teammate Brendan Fevola as he butts heads with his AFL club over his off-season plans.

But Brown still believes the star forward should concentrate on rehabilitation in Brisbane rather than a Melbourne family reunion this summer "for his career's sake".

Fevola faces a 16-week rehabilitation in Brisbane following groin surgery - but he is desperate to spend time in Melbourne with his estranged wife and three daughters.

While baulking at calling Fevola's ailment career-threatening, Brown said his teammate's injury was "rare in Australian sport" and had to be taken seriously.

"Having a baby daughter I know how difficult it can be when you don't see your family for a period of time," Brown said, referring to his eight-month-old child Olivia.

"It's important for him to spend some time with his family no doubt about it - (but) it's a difficult situation with his kids being in another state.

"Because of the significance of the injury he has to spend some time in solid rehab just for his own career's sake.

"The early weeks of rehab are pretty crucial.

"He needs to tick all the boxes in this rehab to get back to the Coleman Medal-winning form.

"He's had a year of injury problems so the off-season needs to be used as a mental freshen up but also as a time to get his body back on track."

No stranger to injury, Brown said he could feel for Fevola but hoped the reigning Coleman Medallist could take inspiration from St Kilda captain Nick Reiwoldt's successful comeback.

"Any time muscle gets ripped away from the bone it's got to be taken pretty seriously," Brown said.

"It's a big injury, a pretty rare one in Australian sport.

"But the surgery seems to have gone really well.

"I suppose you can liken it to the Nick Reiwoldt injury, (with) a similar length of rehab.

"He (Reiwoldt) has come back in some good form, and I am sure Fev will be able to get the job done, have a big summer, come out next year and silence a few critics and get us back to where I think we should be."

Fevola's first year in the Lions den was aborted by a season-ending muscle tear in the first quarter against Melbourne in round 18.

It drew the curtain on a tumultuous debut for the Lions which included the fallout over his Brownlow Medal night shenanigans, a Lara Bingle pic scandal and admitting to a chronic gambling addiction.

He also found time to squeeze in some football, kicking 48 goals.

But clearly Brown had no regrets over the controversial forward's recruitment.

"It has been a tough year (for Fev). He is a pretty good role model for people out there with gambling issues," he said.

"His family situation hasn't been ideal for him but he has held it together pretty well.

"Hopefully he can spend some time with his kids over the summer, and get himself healthy and play some good footy next year."

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