Brisbane Lions players have done the business on the park to earn the right to host the AFLW grand final but defender Shannon Campbell says coach Craig Starcevich has been the glue holding the show together.
Campbell is one of six players who have been with the Lions from the start of the AFLW.
Starcevich was the founding Lions coach and his influence on a squad that will play their fourth grand final in seven years against Melbourne in Springfield on Sunday has been immense.
It has not gone unnoticed by his peers, who have this year voted Starcevich the AFLW coach of the year for a second time.
Campbell spoke about Starcevich in the same awed manner many NRL players talk about mastercoach Dolphins mentor Wayne Bennett.
"I see him as a father figure. He can be hard when he needs to be, but he can also be really loving and nurturing for those people that need that," Campbell said.
"He is really good with his feedback and being approachable and that is what you need, especially in the women's program."
Campbell said the 55-year-old 1990 premiership-winning player with Collingwood had built the Lions on a solid foundation and that those who have come afterwards have embraced the team-first ethos which has led to success.
"We had a fair bit of turnover when the first expansion teams came through but Craig has been unreal in making sure we build a culture that everyone wants to be a part of," she said.
The coach has taken Campbell's game to a new level with his attention to detail - whether in video sessions, on the training field or in the gym.
Campbell said women's CEO Breeanna Brock and high performance manager Matt Green had also shaped Brisbane's success.
"We have got a really good group of people around us that have been able to get us to this position again," she said.
"Four grand finals in seven years is pretty unreal."
Campbell has plenty of big-game experience. She is not superstitious but she has a pre-game ritual she will observe to the letter on game day
"A lot of the girls you will see come out onto the field before a game but I am in the change rooms. I like to be in a bit more peace and quiet," she said
"I am in the change rooms with my headphones on and in my own space. I will stick to my routine and will be ready to go when I get out there."
