Smooth Brisbane winger Hugh McCluggage admits last season's slow start took its toll as they aim to avoid a repeat in their round-one AFL opener against Port Adelaide.
The Lions relied on Zac Bailey's after-the-siren goal against Collingwood last season to avoid a potentially terminal 0-3 start.
While they recovered to sneak into fourth, McCluggage admitted that early wobble and another mid-season blip left them with an uphill slog that eventually bit them in a straight-sets finals exit.
"We had really good patches and then those where we lacked energy and lost games," McCluggage said ahead of Saturday's first-round clash at the Gabba.
"We spent a lot of energy in those games following those bad patches to get back ... you don't go out there thinking you have to play harder, but you probably do naturally."
The wingman says the boxes are ticked in 2022 though, with Bailey and fit-again Cameron Rayner set to add pace and versatility to the midfield and Geelong pick-up Darcy Fort offering ruckman Oscar McInerney some help at stoppages.
"There's no excuses for us," McCluggage said.
"We've got a bit more speed coming into the midfield, solid down back and you know what our forwards can do.
"But having all the right pieces there doesn't get you there; it's about taking the next step and really performing when the moment arises.
The Lions have beaten Port in their last four starts, by 49, 37 and 48 points in their most-recent clashes.
That offsets a horror 1-7 run before that which included 113, 94, 73 and 83-point defeats.
"They play quite a quick game, we expect that again and we need to bring the pressure," McCluggage said.
"If we're on with our hunt, stop their ball movement (it'll help) and we love playing at the Gabba."
Fellow winger Mitch Robinson is under a selection cloud as he prepares to exit COVID-19 isolation on Thursday.
McCluggage said captain Dayne Zorko had trained well this week as he attempts to overcome recent surgery on his achilles.
