Balance found on and off the ground
impact a game, which is what has improved since last year.
“You can definitely sit back and appreciate your improvement, but for me there’s a long way to go still. I’m excited about what I can do next to try and make my game better again.”
It was a steep learning curve for the humble kid from country Victoria. Like any young player, he received his share of constructive criticism.
“You see things on TV you might not particularly want to see,” he said. “For my first year or two, my pressure and my tackling probably wasn’t up to standard.
“You’d have some (review) sessions where you see yourself not going as hard as you possibly could. It hits home.
“You take it a bit personally, which is a good thing. You don’t want it to happen again.
“Those sorts of things stick out. They’ve helped me grow as a player.”
Essendon’s Andy McGrath spoke yesterday about dealing with the pressure that came with being the No.1 pick in the national draft.
McCluggage was touted as a possible top pick in the same class of 2016, but had slid to No.3 before the Lions pounced.
It was a blessing for all, especially the kid who grew up on a dairy farm in Allansford, just out of Warrnambool.
“I think so. That and moving up to Brisbane, not in that footy bubble,” McCluggage said.
“For someone like me – from a smaller town, not used to that Melbourne environment – it was good to just come up to Brisbane.
“You’ve even seen with Cam (Rayner, the No.1 pick in 2017), you do get that extra pressure when you do go No.1.
“It’s great when you’re doing well, but when you’re not it can be a little bit tough.”
McCluggage is happy to keep as low a profile as his, and the team’s, growing fame will allow.
Is he getting recognised on Brisbane streets yet?
“Not so much me, but when I’m with Cam (Rayner) or Hippy (Eric Hipwood), someone more recognisable. I don’t quite have the haircut, the one feature that stands out,” he said.
“I was actually with Cam at the supermarket just then and someone asked for a photo. Little things like that are happening a little bit more. It’s good.
“If you’re in your Lions kit, people just want to say well done.
“They’re just happy that the team is going well again.”
The Lions will be aiming for their third-best winning streak – eight games – when they host the Suns.
With the Suns sitting last, the two teams have never before been further apart on the ladder, but like any QClash the game will be intense.
With Brisbane sitting third, and a finals lock, it’s now all about finishing as high as possible, with mouth-watering games against Geelong and Richmond to come.
“You can’t really look ahead to finals,” McCluggage said, “because you’ve pretty much got three finals, in a way, coming up before you even get there, which is awesome preparation for us.”