BRISBANE captain Dayne Beams has revealed he spoke in front of his teammates about the pain and anguish he felt at the loss of his father Philip to cancer.
Philip Beams passed away two weeks ago after a lengthy battle with bowel cancer.
Dayne Beams, whose main reason for asking for a trade from Collingwood to Brisbane at the end of 2014 was to be closer to his ailing father, said by opening up to his teammates he hoped they had gained a new perspective on life.
"I really feel that it is really good for younger players to see that someone senior, like the leader of their group, is vulnerable," Beams told News Corporation.
"I think it is a really powerful thing for them to feel safe and express their feelings …
"As males, sometimes it is hard for us to express ourselves, and I feel that me being me, and expressing those emotions that I have, has really … I won't say helped the group, but allowed them to step back and think more about life.
"And I've had a few of the blokes say that to me."
Beams, 28, said he and younger brother Claye, now a rookie at the Lions, had received an amazing amount of support from teammates and everyone at the club.
The former Magpie said his decision to leave Collingwood, where he was a 2010 premiership player, had been the right one for him.
"I copped some flak over my reasons for coming home, and at the end of the day I don’t care, but I think it is pretty evident as to why," Beams said.
"I said it to my family that the last three years have been the best of my life, not only because I got to spend them with my Dad.
"But I have really enjoyed footy again – the last years at Collingwood I was getting to the point where I wasn't enjoying it.
"I feel like the last three years have really fast-tracked my growth. There has been a lot happening, I've got married, had my first child, and about to have my second one."
The Lions will wear black armbands in Philip Beams' honour during their round one clash against St Kilda.