If Queensland wins the race to host the 2020 AFL grand final, the weight of expectation on Brisbane will be immense.
The Lions, firmly in the hunt for a top-two finish this year, will be viewed by many as the flag favourites if the decider is held at the Gabba.
Should that be the situation, midfielder Jarrod Berry is emphatic it will be a burden the Lions will shoulder with ease.
“Short answer, yeah,” Berry said when asked if he and his teammates could handle the spotlight of trying to reach a grand final on their home turf.
“I just have belief in our group.
“Our squad is strong, we’re fit, we’re healthy and we’re ready to go for the next little period.”
Brisbane’s ability to handle big occasions remains however unclear.
After last year’s back-to-back finals defeats, the Lions again fell short against bogey team Richmond earlier this season and while they scraped to victory over St Kilda last time out, it wasn’t without further concern over their wayward kicking for goal.
On Friday, the Lions host Collingwood at the Gabba.
The Lions last beat the Magpies in 2014 and froze against Nathan Buckley’s team in front of a bumper crowd last year in a 62-point Easter Thursday mauling.
Berry knows beating the Magpies will send a strong message to the competition that this year’s Lions team is ready to shine when it comes to the big games.
“If you want to be the best team you’ve got to play in the biggest games,” he said.
“Rather than shying away from that, we want to take that opportunity and Friday night’s another opportunity for us to go out and prove what the outside noise is saying about is wrong.”