IT'S the players who missed Brisbane's premiership that will drive the club's flag defence in 2025, says veteran Dayne Zorko.
The Lions' full squad returned to training on Monday at Brighton Homes Arena, greeted by a typically sweltering south-east Queensland day of high temperatures and higher humidity.
While the rehab group was large – including ACL returnees Keidean Coleman, Tom Doedee, Lincoln McCarthy and Darcy Gardiner – the rest of the squad mixed skills with a heavy diet of running repeats.
Zorko, who will turn 36 before Opening Round next season, said there was no lack of hunger after winning the club's first premiership in 21 years.
"There were a lot of players on our team last year that missed out on the opportunity to play in that Grand Final, who have been stalwarts of our club for a number of years, and for the majority of us, that's where the motivation is going to lie," he said.
"They've got to re-earn their spots back in the side, there's no doubt about that, but if they do, we want them to experience the same thing we were able to last season.
"For those guys that have been an integral part of our team over the last six years, have experienced all the hardships and losses, it would be great to recreate that feeling once again for them."
Coleman, McCarthy and Gardiner all missed the majority of last season following knee surgeries, while ruckman Oscar McInerney was absent from the premiership team after dislocating his shoulder in the preliminary final win over Geelong.
Throw in the additions of draftees Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall, who has already turned heads with his powerful pre-season running, and competition for spots is going to be fierce.
Three of the past four premiers have failed to play finals the following season, and Zorko says Brisbane has no intention of adding to that statistic.
"There's going to be talk about premiership hangovers, there's no doubt about that. I just think this group has matured so much over the last six years, we've encountered so many different scenarios, and we've always seemed to come out and improve," he said.
"I think that'll be the driving force of Fages' meetings going forward, we just need to keep improving.
"The competition is evening up every single year.
"We would love to buck that trend of going and trying to get back to that last day in September again.
"We know there's a power of work to get done before that."