A tough 2015 will produce a stronger Brisbane Lions in the years ahead, says Captain Tom Rockliff.

The 25-year-old dual best-and-fairest winner acknowledges that last season was challenging but he says it won't necessarily prove to be a negative in the long run.

"It was probably a defining year for the next couple of years," said Rockliff, who is in Ireland as part of the Australian team for the Virgin Australia International Rules Series.

The tough road that Rockliff travelled last season as his name hit the headlines, and he was forced to respond, was difficult but ultimately fruitful.

"It was probably a good lesson for me in the way to approach that. I probably shouldn't have shot from the hip and gone about it the right way," Rockliff said.

"But I will always defend my footy club and what we stand for."

What the Lions stand for will become clearer in the next 12 months but at the moment one aspect is certain, Rockliff carries a big responsibility.

He is an inexperienced captain of the club in a tough market and he is aware of the perceptions that have arisen.

"It is important that we are not the laughing stock of the competition and we continue to improve," Rockliff said.

Laughing stock is a difficult phrase for a competitor like Rockliff to use when referring to his own club but when recruit Allen Christensen told his new teammate last year the Cats pencilled in a win whenever they saw their name next to the Lions in the fixture, it stung.

"I take it pretty personally," Rockliff said.

"That really hit home and hurt a fair bit. If that doesn't sting, I don't know what does so … it is important that we change that so when teams see the Lions they think they are in for a bit of a fight today."

Fights are not what Rockliff wants. What he needs to be part of is a team that sets high standards and works together to achieve them.

“I think we need more of a buy in from our core and our senior group. If we set the standards really high then everyone starts to join in. I think the biggest thing for us is that our training standards slipped a little bit last year," Rockliff said.

"We are quite a young list so it comes down to the 24-25-year-olds to really set that standard now. The biggest thing is we have to mature a lot quicker than the rest of the competition."

That he is still learning how to communicate that message to the group is not something he argues about. He reflects on the year in a fashion that indicates both maturity and a positive mindset.

"I'll probably, obviously, approach it a little bit differently this season but I'll still expect a high standard from our group," Rockliff said.

With player retention such an issue for the Lions, Rockliff knows it is vital he drives a culture that celebrates difference within the team framework.

"[It's] important we give players an opportunity to be themselves but also buy into that team culture," Rockliff said.