Brisbane feels "as prepared as ever" to take on Geelong after a second round of preparation following the initial fixtures postponement.
The AFL was thrust into uncharted territory when the Opening Round match was delayed due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred days before the bounce.
Lions midfielder Jarrod Berry said the club's added even more intel to its strategy from the pre-season, picking up a few trends for the Cats' first two weeks.
"It was a bit of a bizarre week, that cyclone week, where we did all our opposition preview and were ready to play, but then at the last second it got called off, so it feels like deja vu this week," Berry said on Thursday.
"We go through similar sort of stuff. We've done it twice, and we're as prepared as ever to have Geelong up here."
Brisbane has gone through the opening two weeks unscathed despite sluggish starts against Sydney and West Coast, while Geelong has a mixed ledger after lowering their colours to St Kilda and thrashing Fremantle.
Berry noted that his teammates were slightly off during the first fortnight of the season, giving up early leads to the Swans and Eagles. A trend they hope not to continue.
"It just highlights how even the competition is. If you're not on your game early on, teams can score against you, and it's very hard to peg back those leads," Berry said.
โWest Coast really took it up to us, challenged us around the contest, and really took it to our boys.
"It's all about us getting our squad and our getting our game style and plan to where we want it.
"It's also about sharpening our own axe โฆ and making sure that we're primed and ready to go."
A part of that axe sharpening will be important forward duo Charlie Cameron and Kai Lohmann.
Cameron has yet to be sighted in 2025 due to a calf injury but is expected to be named when the teams drop, while Lohmann hurt his ankle in Round 1.
Berry said that despite the goals and highlights, the former Crow provides, the pressure and tackles are where his value lies.
"Everyone sees Charlie for the goals and Country Roads playing at the Gabba (after he kicks his goals), but he's so much more valuable to our team than that," Berry said.
"All the tough stuff, the tackles, getting out and creating space on the ground, giving us outlet kicks โฆ I feel like we miss him in that aspect, so it's going to be good to have him back."
