SATURDAY'S season opener has been painted as a "lose-lose" for the Brisbane Lions as they clash with an emotional and grieving Melbourne at the MCG.
Win the game and they compound the misery for the Demons as they mourn the death of club legend Jim Stynes. Lose the game, and that's four premiership points gone for the season.
It's a theory that may work on paper, but one that was put back in its place by Lions coach Michael Voss, as the team trained at Albert Park on Friday morning ahead of the clash with the Demons.
"It's not lose, lose. I'll take four points and I won't feel guilty about that," Voss said.
"We've got a job to do and we have to go out and perform. Both teams have to do that because there's four points at the end of it."
Voss said the Lions had too much invested in the first match of the season to let the emotion of the day affect their preparation and how they play.
"You've worked so hard to get to that point," he said.
"No doubt there are things in the football world that you would rather not happen, but there's still a game to play and we have to make sure we get the result."
"Jimmy's legacy is going to last much longer than this week, it will last several lifetimes because of the impact he has had on so many people, so I guess this is one way we can honour that by putting in a good performance," he said.
"If we don't have the mental resolve and the toughness to overcome that then it just highlights that we still have a bit to work towards."
The Lions enter the match without their two best forwards from 2011. Skipper Jonathan Brown is recovering from yet another fractured cheekbone, while Mitch Clark will be out on the MCG on Saturday, albeit playing for Melbourne.
While he'd no doubt prefer to have Brown out there, it speeds up the process of trying to find a more even spread of goalkickers.
"Football teams rely on several forwards to have an impact and to hit the scoreboard. Even when he (Brown) returns we need the same return from several guys. It can't be just one or two players."
"Every team is looking for that spread. Even with Buddy Franklin there, Alastair Clarkson talks about wanting to have an even spread," he said.
Another goal for the Lions is to address their lack of competitiveness at the MCG. The Lions have lost six and drawn one at the home of football since their last win there in round seven of 2009.
"We haven't had a great deal of success there and there are people who would say that's a big negative on us and [one] that we have to make sure we rectify.
"But there's no better way to start the season than a traditional Saturday afternoon clash at the traditional MCG against a traditional Victorian team like Melbourne," he said.
You can follow AFL Media senior writer Ashley Browne on Twitter @afl_hashbrowne
