Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has urged his men to embrace the chaos as another wet-weather wrestle with Geelong looms.
Heavy rain soaked the Gabba when the AFL sides last met in Brisbane a year ago and the Lions were schooled, registering their lowest-ever score at the venue in a 9.9 (63) to 4.13 (37) loss.
Storms hit during Friday’s captain’s run at the Gabba and are expected to continue this weekend in the Opening Round clash that was postponed due to Cyclone Alfred.
“Fair to say they handled the conditions a lot better than what we did,” the Lions coach said on Friday of last year’s Brisbane meeting.
“We took the time to focus in on that and we’ll be ready, if that’s the way the weather is.
“It just becomes a simpler game (in the wet).
“Contest to contest, take territory and that’s where we made a mistake by over-handballing in those conditions and helped cause our demise.
“There’s a lot of chaos in the game, even more chaos when it’s a wet day, because the ball spends a long time on the ground and it’s alive.”
Both teams will include key personnel that were in doubt during the week.
Lions small forwards Kai Lohmann (ankle) and Charlie Cameron (calf) will play their first games of the season while Tom Stewart (knee) and Bailey Smith (calf) have been named for Geelong.
“He’s (Stewart) a superstar defender, probably the best intercept defender in the game,” Fagan said.
“We’ll have our plans for him (and Smith), he’s a very, very good player and a handy in.”
The two sides have enjoyed a spirited rivalry, their most-recent battle won by the Lions when they came from 25 points down to qualify for last year’s grand final.
“I don’t know it’s something you have to talk about,” Fagan said of the clubs’ history.
“It’s something that’s present in the minds of players from both teams and should lead to a healthy clash, I would have thought.”