“I won’t get too caught up in it early in the week because they’ve got a lot of guys that can play different roles,” McCluggage said.
“Nothing’s guaranteed. If it happens again, I’ll definitely have a look at a few things that I can do better, but I think we’re all going to be like that.
“I was disappointed, but I just reviewed it. Emotion itself isn’t going to get you that improvement, and I looked at what I needed to do differently the following week.
“Whether I was getting tagged or not, I was just disappointed with my performance holistically in that match. I got to work and worked with [Lions midfield coach] Cam Bruce on a few different things that I could improve on, and worked on being a better teammate when I’m in that situation.”
Brisbane will already be without several key men, with Jack Payne, Noah Answerth, Lincoln McCarthy, Eric Hipwood, Tom Doedee, and Keidean Coleman ruled out with season-ending injuries.
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But hope remains for wingman Jarrod Berry to make a miraculous comeback from a dislocated shoulder, despite the harrowing scenes of him being helped off the field in agony against Collingwood.
It was the second time in five weeks Berry’s shoulder had popped out, but McCluggage confirmed “he still hasn’t been ruled out”.
If he could not overcome the setback, the Lions vice-captain was confident his close mate would replicate the team-first mentality embodied by ruckman Oscar McInerney, who suffered the same fate before last year’s decider.
“He’s going to do everything he can, like Lachie, to prove himself,” McCluggage said.
“It’s not really in ours or his hands any more … speaking to him, he’s at peace with whatever result happens. It’s really disappointing for guys that miss out, but you hear these stories every year.
“We had Big O last year, who handled himself really well, so I’m sure that for the boys who miss out, they’ll look to that and make sure they’re great teammates throughout the week for us.”
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