The only way the Brisbane Lions thought they would resume AFL pre-season work on Thursday morning was with oars.

But Lions players amazingly spent a much-needed two-hour ballwork session on a suburban field that was expected to go under in the south-east Queensland's devastating flood.

Only 16 hours after assessing alternative training venues in the state such as the Gold Coast and Cairns as the capital city flooded, the Lions hit a dry Giffin Park paddock in summer sunshine at 8.30am.

If the Brisbane River hit the 5.5m peak expected, their second home, which borders Norman Creek, would have been completely submerged.

But the lower 4.5m peak recorded just before sunrise allowed the Lions' football department to hastily arrange the session.

"Yesterday I thought we'd need a boat and an outboard to get out here," football general manager Dean Warren told AAP.

"I fully expected to get here this morning and it would be totally under water, particularly if it reached the levels they originally expected.

"Last night we thought there would be no way in the world we could train.

"We've been lucky."

Also fortunate was St Kilda recruit Xavier Clarke who was forced to sandbag and evacuate his home at Bulimba, near the Brisbane River, but the flood waters spared his residence.

"I was pretty close to the water and made sure I was safe and cautionary by getting my stuff out and stayed at Amon Buchanan's place."

Lions chairman Angus Johnson was not so lucky with his river-side Yeronga home inundated after many players and staff helped with his salvage efforts.

As well as the Lions, Brisbane's other winter football teams - the Brisbane Broncos and Queensland Reds - also enjoyed a return to training on grounds at Red Hill and Ballymore that also remarkably escaped flood damage.

"It looks like any other day, actually better than any other day," said Reds spokesman Darrin Davies.

A-League pacesetters Brisbane Roar, who drew 3-all with Central Coast in Gosford on Wednesday night, have written off the rest of the week's training after their Sunday clash with Wellington was postponed until January 26.

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