Luke McGuane probably didn’t realise how acclimatised he’d become to Melbourne’s weather until he headed back home to Queensland at the end of last season.

Nine seasons at Richmond was obviously enough time for McGuane to conveniently forget how relentless summer in the Sunshine State can be.

“It’s been a bit different,” McGuane told Dom Fay and Michael Whiting as part of the Fancast on LIONS TV.

“I’m originally a Gold Coast boy so you’d think that coming back to Queensland I’d be used to the heat, but it’s taken its toll a little bit.

“I’m getting there now and I don’t think it’s going to get much hotter that it was on Sunday in Townsville.”

But that hot and steamy first outing with the Brisbane Lions in Townsville last Sunday didn’t seem to have any effect on McGuane, who was ‘on fire’ early with three first quarter goals.

The 27-year-old’s scoreboard contribution dried up a little in the second half, but that can be forgiven considering he missed a considerable part of the pre-season due to knee surgery. 

However, it didn’t stop him from enjoying his debut in the maroon, gold and blue.

“I loved every second of it, it was really enjoyable,” McGuane said.

“I was pretty excited to get out there in the new colours and with all my new teammates, so I had a ball.”

After 105 senior AFL games with the Tigers, McGuane hopes that a change of scenery will help give him a second lease on life as a professional footballer.

“Someone like Jay Schulz is a really good example. He went to a new club and has become a real force at Port Adelaide,” he said.

“Obviously I don’t think I’ll be the key focus up forward – Browny will always be that – but a second or third tall forward is probably more my kind of thing.”