BRISBANE Lions coach Michael Voss has delivered some hard questions of his playing group, veteran Lion Ash McGrath has revealed.
McGrath said Voss had particular questions for his midfield group following last week's loss to Collingwood.
"The weekend's game (against Collingwood) we just got smashed out of the middle and Vossy asked a few of the boys if we were learning from blokes like [Dane] Swan and [Steele] Sidebottom," McGrath said.
"The question was asked if we were coming into meetings and actually writing down what they do good and what we don’t.
"If we want to be an elite team we have to start preparing right even if that means every single one of us watching behind-the-goals footage of the teams to see what they do right and where we can get better."
The Lions face GWS on Sunday and McGrath has predicted the Giants can win as many as five games this season.
After watching Gold Coast win three games in their inaugural season last year, the 183-game veteran said he thought GWS would better that mark.
McGrath was quietly cheering the Giants home last Saturday as they broke their duck with a 27-point victory over Gold Coast in Canberra.
"I watched a bit of it and to see they were actually going to win, I was getting excited," McGrath said.
"They have surprised me a bit but it's been exciting to see them crashing in. I don't think they've got too much riding on themselves, they've got nothing to lose.
"They go out and play the brand of footy they want. They'll beat a few teams this year the way they're going.
"I think GWS could win five games the way they're playing."
McGrath is one of just three players left from the Lions 2003 premiership team alongside captain Jonathan Brown and Brownlow medallist Simon Black.
The 28-year-old has made an art-form of keeping a low profile over the years, just as skilful at dodging the media as he is at threading goals or evading opponents.
However, a candid McGrath was all jokes when it came to talking about his former teammate Luke Power who will return to the Gabba for his first game in Giants colours after 282 matches with the Lions.
"Is he still playing?" McGrath joked.
"I thought his bones would have turned to dust by now he's that old. He's come a long way from sitting in my garden on nice cold mornings scaring the birds away from the flowers the little gnome.
"It'll be good to play against him and I'm sure after the game the boys will shake hands. I might even put him back in the garden because he looks better there."
Michael Whiting covers Brisbane Lions news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_mikewhiting
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
