Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said Saturday's four-point win in the grand final rematch against Sydney "was one of our great wins" as the casualty list took a hit.
After the Lions' false start to their premiership defence in 2025 due to the cyclone and its ongoing impact that limited the club's training regime, it would be understood if the reigning premiers struggled in their first outing of the year.
Coming up against a redemption-seeking Swans outfit who are attempting to avenge last year's poor performance in the decider, coupled by last week's loss to Hawthorn in Opening Round, the stage was set for a belter.
Injuries to Kai Lohmann, Brandon Starcevich as well as late outs Charlie Cameron and Sam Day, the odds were against Fagan and his men.
Cameron was a late withdrawal with calf tightness, putting an end to his impressive 145 consecutive game record, while Day was given time with his family due to the passing of his father.
But as they did in 2024, Brisbane, with their backs against the wall, defied the odds to become victorious.
"It was one of our great wins today, I reckon as a group," Fagan said.
"If you look back over what's happened over the last two weeks, we had an interrupted preparation for this game, obviously with the cyclone threat up in Brisbane.
"We lose Charlie (Cameron) before the game, Sam Day's dad passes away, and those two boys have been practicing in the forward line all summer, and then suddenly, two or three days out, they're not there. We lose Kai Lohmann early in the game and Starcevich in the last quarter.
"We lost Linc McCarthy during the week as well with his knee.
"There were a lot of things, a lot of forces that were working against us but we found a way."
Fagan couldn't give a timeline on Lohmann's ankle injury but said Starcevich, who recently exited concussion protocols for a knock in the pre-season, will enter them again.
Father-son gun Levi Ashcroft slotted seamlessly into the top flight, gathering 25 touches, six score involvements and four clearances.
Albeit met with confusion, Fagan explained during the week the reasoning Ashcroft began as the 23rd man due to where he "fits in the pecking order" but a late out changed that.
"It's a hot game to come in and play your first game, he contributed really well, he'll learn a lot from that opportunity," Fagan said about Levi.
"It's not a surprise that he went well but it's good that he did. He helped us win the game."
Brisbane will turn their attention to West Coast at the Gabba in Round 2, before they face Geelong the following week.
