Brisbane midfielder Josh Dunkley says he is getting an eerily similar feeling to the time he lifted the premiership cup over his head eight years ago.
Dunkley will run out for his fourth AFL Grand Final on Saturday when the Lions face the minor premiers Sydney at the MCG, hoping to emulate the success of the 2016 Western Bulldogs team.
The Bulldogs ended a 62-year premiership drought with a win over the Swans after finishing the home and away season in seventh position, defeating West Coast, Hawthorn and GWS in do-or-die clashes before reaching the decider.
Brisbane has lived a similar fate, knocking off Carlton, GWS and Geelong after finishing fifth, defying all odds to reach the grand final.
Dunkley said it's hard not to consider the historic Dogs run and what the Lions could achieve.
"You dare to dream," Dunkley said. "There's a lot of similarities, but we all know you've got to go out and do the job still.
"For us, it's all about the preparation and looking forward to what's to come.
"I feel like we're on a bit of a wave at the moment, and hopefully, we can ride it all the way home."
If victorious on Saturday, the Lions will become the second team - behind the 2016 Bulldogs - to win the premiership from outside the eight in the AFL era, dating back to 1994 when the finals system was introduced.
GWS (2019) and the Bulldogs (2021) came close but failed at the final hurdle.
Dunkley comes into this match as one of three players who have tasted premiership success, standing alongside Swan James Jordon, who, like the former Bulldog, achieved the ultimate glory at a rival club (2021, Melbourne), as well as Luke Parker (2012).
Dunkley also stood opposite Jordon when the Demons thrashed the Bulldogs in 2021.
Having experienced heartbreak, like most of the players who will run out on Saturday, the 27-year-old is taking on important lessons from previous years and is keen to redeem the close loss of last year.
"It's either the best day of your life or the worst day," Dunkley said.
"With Grand Finals, you can always play them in your head over and over before you actually get out there.
"Last year, the experience against Collingwood is definitely in the back of your mind and fresh in the memory, so there's a lot of things we're doing this week that we learnt from last year."
A piece of irony for the Dunkley family is the fact that Josh's dad played 217 games for Sydney between 1992 and 2002.
The Swans passed up the 27-year-old when the Bulldogs bid for Dunkley in the 2015 National Draft with Pick 25.
Sydney opted not to match and was forced to watch a favourite son of theirs lift the premiership cup the following year.
Eight years later, it may happen again, albeit for another team.
"It's funny that we're playing the Swans again," Dunkley quipped.
"I wasn't playing for the Lions in 16', but it is a bit ironic that we're playing the Swans on Saturday. There's a lot of history with the family (with dad playing at the club).
"He's (Dad) through and through Brisbane."