Josh Dunkley insists his headstrong Brisbane Lions side won't stop dancing just because the ice has thickened in their AFL premiership defence.
Brisbane will launch their season against Geelong at the Gabba on Thursday, 159 days after reaching the peak in a dominant grand final defeat of Sydney.
That MCG thrashing completed an incredible campaign from a side that had climbed back from 13th position to finish fifth, then recover from 44 and 25-point margins to reach the decider.
At their lowest ebb, coach Chris Fagan told the group that "if you're on thin ice, you may as well dance".
It was a saying that resonated and became the theme of their triumph.
A relatively fluent pre-season has followed and midfield workhorse Dunkley is confident his men can continue that brave approach now they're back on firm ground.
"Mentality is a choice and we have a choice," he told reporters on Sunday after training.
"The last few years we've been a really good side, so there's no reason why this year the mentality changes, just because we won a premiership.
"It's all about the present and being in the right frame of mind.
"And we've preached the right message to the boys this year and are not looking any further than this week.
"If you think that it's easy, then it won't happen."
Closely beaten in the 2023 decider, the Lions aim to snap the modern AFL trend that's seen premiers struggle to back up.
Collingwood last year became the fourth reigning premiers to miss the finals in the last eight seasons, with Richmond's three-peat in between the outlier and Dunkley's Western Bulldogs kickstarting the pattern in 2017.
"That was a long time ago, my second season," he said on Sunday of the Bulldogs' 2016 crown.
"We have talked about it, knowing a few sides have been through it.
"But it's just on us. It's our responsibility; everyone here at the club wants to get to where we got to last year again and that starts this week."
Harris Andrews trained fully after missing Thursday's pre-season game due to illness, while Lachie Neale, Jack Payne, Eric Hipwood, Callum Ah Chee, Hugh McCluggage and Lincoln McCarthy were on light duties but expected to train in Tuesday's main session.
Defender Brandon Starcevich (concussion) is the only confirmed non-starter on Thursday from those not already on the longer-term injury list, with draftee Levi Ashcroft firming for his AFL debut.
