Brisbane Lions coach Craig Starcevich concedes the hype around the Springfield AFLW grand final party may have overwhelmed his players but believes the best is yet to come for his group.
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The Lions were upset by Melbourne in Sunday's decider at the new Michael Voss Oval, going goalless after quarter-time.
They earned hosting rights after pipping Melbourne by 0.3 per cent for the minor premiership following a dramatic final round of the home-and-away season.
"To host in your own town and all the excitement around playing here, possibly that's played some role," Starcevich told reporters.
"But I always think footy is won and lost on the day.
"So I think the opposition came out and were really good, they're a tough team to beat."
The Lions have just one premiership to show from four grand final appearances since the first season of the competition in 2017.
But Starevich is adamant they will contend for years to come.
There were two seasons of AFLW held in 2022, with the competition moving away from the heat of summer.
Melbourne and the Lions had just four months to deal with falling short in April, when the Demons beat Brisbane in a preliminary final before losing the decider to Adelaide.
"This time around there's a big gap between seasons so it's going to be something we'll have to carry and it's going to burn for a little while," Starcevich said.
"I think the best is yet to come because there's still a major portion of our group that are (aged) 22 or younger, which is fantastic for us going forward and playing the long game."
Australian Associated Press
