ZAC Bailey always wanted to stay at Brisbane but conceded it was "50-50" at stages during his contract negotiations this year.

The Lions free agent inked an eight-year deal earlier in the week to remain at the club that drafted him in 2017, turning his back on a lucrative offer from Adelaide.

Speaking on Thursday morning for the first time since announcing the contract, Bailey said he was happy to take his time on the decision.

"The club's put an enormous amount of trust in me, and I'm certainly thankful for that," he said.

"Throughout the whole period, I knew I wanted to stay at Brisbane.

"I think these things just take a little bit of time. There was obviously some interest from down south that I had to really consider, but for me, there was no real rush. 

"I was just going to take things at my own pace. I think for the first half of the year, I didn't even really deal with it at all. 

"I just wanted to go out there and play good footy, and that's what I was doing, so there wasn't really ever a rush for me to get it done. 

"In the end, I love it here, love this club."

Despite the attention his signature garnered, Bailey continued to play at a high level, earning his second successive All-Australian jacket.

He said the length of the contract, which will surpass his 35th birthday by the time it expires in 2034, was important, knowing he wouldn't have to go through the process again until then.

"I think throughout the year it was 50-50," he said.

"It's now on me to make sure I keep trying to improve and take my game to another level. There's a lot of trust in me to perform, so now it's on me.

"We've got a great bunch of lads, coaches, and we've had a lot of success, and think we're such a tight group.

"A lot of people have taken less (money) to stay here, and I think we've been able to keep a very similar group, and when you do that, you can build a team around that, and I think that's really important to have sustained success."

For that success to continue, the Lions must defeat the Crows at the Gabba to continue their chase for a hat-trick of premierships.

Bailey said he hoped the news of his contract extension could help inspire his teammates.

"It's been a bit of a dark week for the club in terms of the game on the weekend and some of the media at the moment around our performance, so I think to get a little bit of energy within the club and the group was important," he said.

"I think the timing of it was pretty good, and hopefully that gives the boys a little bit of a boost."