Midfield Coach Dale Tapping says trust is the key element to the Brisbane Lions success at taking set shots at goal.

In Sunday’s loss to Essendon, Tapping concedes the Lions did not make the most of their opportunities in front of goal.

“We’ve done a lot of work with our goalkicking not only this year but also last year,” Tapping said.

“I think they’ve [the players] just got to believe in what they do and go back and kick through the footy and finish their work.

"It comes down to being as simple as that and just believing in what they do and the work they’ve put in.”

Tapping said the players and coaching staff will enjoy the approaching four-day break as a mental fresher to recharge for the second half of the season.

Reflecting on the past 12 games, Tapping says the Lions has improved dramatically since the 2017 season.

“We’re clearly in a lot more games of footy this year,” he said.

The team are more competitive, have been defending better and have had more inside 50s this season.

“We’ve had opportunities to win more games and been right in it in the last 10 minutes of games,” he said.

“We’ve come a long way with how we want to play the game.”

Ahead of the GWS Giants game in 10 days time, the Lions will be looking for a strong first quarter, as they admit they have been slow off the mark in recent games. 

“We’ve just got to be able to get that right from the start. That’s our growth for our young team.”