FORMER Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko says the venue won't be a factor in Saturday's Toyota AFL Grand Final, despite the club's poor record at the MCG in recent years.
The Lions have lost 10 of their 11 matches at the ground since Chris Fagan began coaching in 2017, but Zorko said the team has gained confidence there over the past 12 months.
The Lions beat Melbourne in a semi-final at the 'G last season, and were narrowly beaten by Richmond late in 2022 and again by the Demons in round 18 this year.
Despite conceding four late goals to succumb to Simon Goodwin's men two months ago, Brisbane played as well as it ever has under Fagan for 90 per cent of that match.
"Finals games are different," Zorko said on Thursday morning when asked about the MCG.
"It is just another ground, and we understand to win a Grand Final you need to win at the MCG.
"We've played some really good football there in the last 12 months.
"We've learned a lot from those (defeats), and that's something we've done really, really well over the last five years, is learn from our mistakes and try and get better.
"This weekend if challenges present themselves, I'm confident the ground won't be a factor in the way we execute."
Zorko will run out for his 250th game on Saturday, and at 34, be the oldest member of the Lions team.
He was overlooked in four national drafts before Gold Coast acquired the rights to draft him through their zone access in 2011 and immediately on-traded him to the Lions.
Since then he has won five best and fairests, an All-Australian jacket in 2017 and was the club captain from midway through 2018 until the end of 2022 when he stood aside for Lachie Neale and Harris Andrews to take over.
"To get an opportunity to play on the biggest stage in football is unbelievable," he said.
"To play 250 and to be on the occasion of a Grand Final, I'm forever grateful and it's an unbelievable personal achievement, but there's a lot more on the line than me playing 250 games on the weekend."
Zorko's father Alex will be on hand to see his son play, but is taking the long road to do so.
"My old man had a bit of a heart condition and was unable to fly," Zorko said.
"Noah Answerth offered to drive my old man and uncle down. Noah's a phenomenal person … puts the team first and to do a kind act like that for me is unreal."
