After a torturous run with injury at Essendon, ruckman Sam Draper leant on Joe Daniher before deciding to switch to Brisbane.
The 27-year-old is preparing for his first AFL grand final after managing 25 games in his first season with the Lions.
It will be his fourth final this September, after managing just one across his 78 games with the Bombers.
Draper arrived in Brisbane coming off an Achilles rupture that prematurely ended his Essendon career in April 2025.
Needing a change after a frustrating run with injury, the 203cm goliath spoke with Daniher, a Lions premiership hero who Draper became friends with when the pair were briefly at Essendon together.
"Joey's a pretty interesting character and he sort of put it back onto me," Draper said before the grand-final parade on Friday.
"I called him up to ask him questions, but he was asking me questions in return.
"I came out that phone call not confused, but it actually made it a lot clearer for me.
"He asked me what I wanted to get out of my career and what was important to me and for my family."
Draper, who is one of only two Lions - along with Oscar Allen - in Saturday's grand final not to have played in a premiership, desperately needed a change.
Part of the appeal was the Lions' impressive record in getting injury-prone players back on the ground and into their best form.
"I was in a pretty bad way last year, coming off my Achilles rupture," Draper said.
"I needed something to change, and Brisbane was able to offer me a fresh start, for me and my partner in a new state.
"That was a big factor (Brisbane's medical team) in my decision because of my history and I've come off the Achilles, ACL, syndesmosis, groin problems - I've ticked a few off.
"I've played every game (except for opening round), and we're in a grand final, so it's going pretty well, but the job's not finished yet."
