CRAIG Starcevich sits facing his team, premiership medallion around his neck, looking totally at ease.
His Brisbane Lions have just won their second NAB AFLW premiership, and a sense of satisfaction settled over the room.
"That's awesome what we did today," Starcevich said to the playing group and staff seated before him.
"We're going to be humble, we're going to love each other's company tonight, and let's just enjoy it because everyone in this room has played a massive part."
Thanks to a special four-part documentary titled 'Against All Odds' and developed by Brisbane, fans have an opportunity to go behind the scenes of the club's 2023 season.
With exclusive footage captured by the club throughout the course of the year, and interviews with Starcevich, captain Breanna Koenen, vice-captain Natalie Grider, and players Dakota Davidson, Jade Ellenger, Ally Anderson, Belle Dawes, Lily Postlethwaite, and Jennifer Dunne, the Lions tell the story of their premiership journey.
>> WATCH EPISODE ONE OF AGAINST ALL ODDS BELOW
"I know that I went into that game 'cause I wanted to win so Bre could be a premiership captain," Grider was captured saying to her team after the Grand Final victory.
"And I know so many girls that went into that game wanting to win for someone else and I know that's what makes a champion team."
Coming off a Grand Final loss to Melbourne the season prior, and having bid goodbye to a host of important players in the off-season, the expedition back to the summit was a different one for the Lions.
"Yeah, that one took a fair while to get over actually, because we'd had pretty much the perfect year up until that," Starcevich said of the Grand Final loss.
The loss, both of the game and players, taught the club that it needed to find more versatility and adaptability if it were to go one better, but it did throw up some quiet concerns internally.
"I didn't know what to think to be honest," Koenen said.
"Obviously, you just get on with it. But I'm not going to lie, I thought it was going to be potentially a tougher year for us and we'd have to work really hard to get the same results."
>> WATCH EPISODE ONE OF AGAINST ALL ODDS BELOW
Those remaining at the club were tasked with taking the step up to help cover absent teammates, and few had more pressure on their shoulders than key forward Davidson.
"It was different, and a difficult part of my career," Davidson said.
"I felt like I had to be the hero… Jesse (Wardlaw)'s gone, I'm the new Jesse."
The series weaves these stories and many more throughout the four episodes. Davidson's knee injury on the eve of the Grand Final, Postlethwaite's triumphant return from back-to-back ACL injuries, Ellenger's tough personal challenge after being dropped for disciplinary reasons, Dunne's baptism by fire in a brand-new sport, The now-famous jerry can from a pre-season camp, and what it meant to the side.
And the environment in which the ruthless and brutal Lions manufactured a famous flag.
Episode one is now available, with the following three episodes to be released each Wednesday evening until August 7.
