BRISBANE coach Craig Starcevich is right back where he likes it entering another AFLW season – firmly as an underdog.
After losing marquee players Emily Bates and Greta Bodey to Hawthorn and the competition's leading goalkicker Jesse Wardlaw to St Kilda, the broad view is Brisbane could take a small step back as it rebuilds once again.
Not one captain chose the Lions as the most likely team to reach the Grand Final despite a premiership, preliminary final loss and four-point Grand Final loss in the past three seasons.
But Starcevich likes being doubted. In the competition's inaugural seasons, his team was rarely tipped to make finals let alone thrive, yet they made the first two deciders and have been a constant threat since.
Speaking on Thursday morning prior to his team's opening round match against Richmond, Brisbane's coach said he loved being an underdog.
"I always feel like that, to be honest," he said.
"If it's not opponents giving it to you by coming in and cherry-picking (players), it's decisions made running the game that riles you up a bit.
"Some of that is always going to be there. It's something that drives us.
"I do like that situation because it's genuine.
"I don't think our team is given enough credit for what we've done in terms of the churn of our players and re-establishing ourselves as a contender again after going through that.
"It's something that definitely drives our group."
Brisbane will have to prove itself again with holes to fill in its midfield and forward line.
Starcevich said his team would continue to play an attacking brand of football, but warned the chemistry inside forward 50 might take some time.
"That's going to take some work," he said.
"Finding the next group of people to step into those roles is a bit of a work in progress, but we think we'll get there."
Wardlaw (22) and Bodey (11) were Brisbane's two leading goalkickers from last year, while Dakota Davidson and Courtney Hodder (both nine) remain as the most proven performers in front of goal.
Davidson said she was excited about the prospect of working with some new faces and confident her game could go up a gear.
MEDICAL ROOM All the AFLW injury news
"It was obviously sad to lose Jess, she was a key part of the team and I wish her all the best at St Kilda, but I'm quietly confident in my ability," she said.
"My role doesn't change, but we've got the likes of Taylor Smith there and Analea McKee and Poppy Boltz.
"I like the new dynamic of the forward line. It's going to be new and exciting."