HALL of Famers Simon Black and Jonathan Brown should serve as inspiration for the new breed of Brisbane footballers, young star Cam Rayner says.
Black and Brown were inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday night after spending their entire careers at the Lions, where they won three premierships together after humble beginnings.
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Rayner, who wears Brown's old No.16, said there were symmetries between where that great Brisbane team started and the current Lions squad, which began its ascent last season.
"They started all young together and had success as they grew older," Rayner told reporters.
"That's something we want to do here. I feel like we've got the foundations for that building. It's just that we need to do the work now and strive towards that.
"It is reassuring to see it can be done, and it's been done elsewhere at other clubs."
Rayner spent part of the COVID-19 shutdown back home in Melbourne, where he trained with best mate, current Kangaroo and ex-Western Jets teammate Curtis Taylor.
The 20-year-old was able to "fine-tune" some parts of his game and felt "really fit" as Brisbane looks to kick-start its season with the next four games at the Gabba, after a round one loss to Hawthorn.
That string of matches begins with a clash on Saturday week against Fremantle, which won the clubs' last hit-out in round 10 last year courtesy of a Michael Walters poster after the siren.
The circumstances are far different a year on from that Optus Stadium game, with Fremantle preparing to spend at least a month in a Gold Coast quarantine hub.
"It was a shocker, that one. We haven't forgotten about that," Rayner said.
The No.1 draft pick in 2017 said the upcoming period in the interstate hub could eventually prove a blessing in disguise for the Dockers and Eagles, in particular.
"Once the game starts, it's just another game of footy," Rayner said.
"It'll probably be tough for those blokes during the week … but I think it will benefit them in the long run, having the games back in WA at the end of the year.
"But we're focusing on ourselves and we've got a good month here at the Gabba, so we want to get away to a good start."
