Brisbane coach Chris Fagan knows his team hasn't won an AFL match at the MCG since 2014 and accepts it will be a talking point heading into Sunday's game against Richmond.
But the Lions' mentor has dismissed any suggestion a failure to beat the Tigers would indicate his team should be written off in this year's premiership discussions.
"I understand it's about setting up the story," Fagan said.
"So the story on Monday will be if the Lions win, you can win the flag because you won at the MCG.
"And if we lose, you can't win the flag because you can't win at the MCG.
"That's how it'll roll and we all understand that.
"We fully embrace the fact that we haven't won at the MCG and we're trying like hell to win there on the weekend.
"That's our goal.
"But if we don't, it won't stop us from trying to achieve the ultimate this year, it's as simple as that."
Since Fagan took over at the Lions in 2016 he has made a habit of ending the club's supposed hoodoos.
In 2020 Brisbane won their first final since 2009, defeating the Tigers for the first time in 15 games in the process.
The Lions have also ended long waits for wins over clubs such as Collingwood and Geelong during their rise to premiership contenders under the 61-year-old.
Those achievements have continued into this year with a 24-point win over Sydney at the SCG in May their first victory at the venue in 13 seasons.
"We've become that team that have overcome a lot of those alleged obstacles over the last few years," Fagan said.
"The truth is we're not playing the MCG, we're playing Richmond.
"And the reason why we haven't won at the MCG the last few years is because when we've played there, we haven't played well enough against the team we're playing against.
"It's as simple as that."
