CALM coach Chris Fagan says this is the best chance Brisbane has to win an elusive premiership in his time at the club.
The Lions could hardly have asked for a better preparation – aside from the season-ending knee injury to Will Ashcroft – as they get ready to host Port Adelaide in a qualifying final at the Gabba on Saturday night.
Fagan took over at the helm late in 2016, with his team now entering a fifth consecutive finals campaign, this time from second position on the ladder.
Speaking prior to Friday morning's captain's run, the coach says his team is ready to take another step forward.
"It feels like we've been getting ready for this for seven years to be honest, that's what it feels like," Fagan said.
"You want to make the most of your opportunity and not let it slip by.
"I don't feel like we've let opportunities slip by in previous years, I just don't think we've quite been ready, but we've been getting closer all the time.
"This year is as close as we've been I reckon, so we've got to try and make the most of that."
As part of the Lions' preparation this time around, Fagan has shown images during the week of devastated players following last year's preliminary final loss to Geelong.
He said the "loss aversion" motivation wasn't something he liked doing often, preferring to focus on positives, but was a good reminder of the differences between the home and away season and finals.
Fagan himself is noticeably at ease as September rolls around.
"We've been in four finals series now and got to a couple of prelims, but haven't quite got to the 'Big Dance'," he said.
"That's a topic of conversation for us all year, how can we improve enough to get there and hopefully salute. The season has been the first step in that process and tomorrow night is the next step.
"I think we've had a really good season and we're hard to beat. I think there's been games we might have lost in the past that we've found a way to win.
"I feel like we're a tougher side mentally, which is something we deliberately worked on throughout the pre-season and the course of the year.
"You get confidence through performance.
"I've been with these boys for a long time now. The best example I can show them is to be calm, so that's what I'm doing."
The first test comes from Port, a team that spanked Brisbane by 54 points in the opening round of the season.
A lot has changed for both clubs since then, but the memory is fresh in Fagan's mind.
"They're a really great side. If you look at their midfield, they've got a couple of All-Australians in there and a Brownlow medallist.
"They're a really talented team, they won 13 games in a row this year and won the same number of home and away games as what we did. We're pretty even, I think."
The match is a sellout, with Brisbane hoping to add to its perfect 11-from-11 record at its home ground in 2023.
