Collins is unavailable for the sudden-death final against Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong at Robertson Oval due to an interstate wedding.

MCUE coach Jeremy Rowe said the loss of Collins is simply something the Goannas will need to overcome.

"It's really easy to give the company line in regards to someone else having an opportunity and all those sorts of thing but I think the best thing is just to acknowledge that a good player has gone out of our side," Rowe said.

"He's definitely brought something to our side from a leadership perspective and an organisational perspective. He's also very composed with the footy and his efficiency by foot is also very high so he'll definitely be missed but I think to put it into perspective, we got through 12 rounds of the season with Collo not being in our side.

"We've played some really good footy with him being in and out of the team and it's just a matter of us having to cover the loss of a good player this week and that's just something that we've got to overcome."

Jack Collins and Rowe will come in for the Goannas, while Trent Cohalan is in some doubt with an ankle injury.

MCUE go into finals having won eight of their last 11 games.

They will take confidence from a 52-point win over the Lions the last time they met, but GGGM did prevail by 56 points in their first encounter this year.

Rowe revealed he won't look back on either game when preparing for this week.

"We'll leave both of the performances against Ganmain behind," he said.

"We feel that they've come and gone, they've happened. If you really want to look into it, as a point of interest, they were almost the mirror image of each other.

"For that reason, and that we do think that finals brings different footy, it brings a high intensity, it's also at this stage of the season, clubs are putting the finishing touches on their preparation and a lot can change in four weeks so we're not really going to take too much at all out of the last performance.

"We'd prefer to focus on just making sure we're in a position to execute everything we've been working on. That we get our systems and structures right, that we have 22 guys contributing and we put forth something close to our best and that's what our sole focus is on at the moment."

One part of the Lions' team that has Rowe's attention is their height.

"They're a unique side in regards to how tall they are and we think if we give them an opportunity to win enough footy and get the ball in quickly to their tall forwards, then they can cause you dramas," he said.

Rowe is wary of the height the Lions' possess in attack and will prepare his team accordingly.

"Four talls forward in Peck, Walsh, McCaig and Foley, that will change your balance no matter what make up to your side," he said.

"You've just got to make sure that a, you're stopping the talls and b, you're not just putting all your time and energy, and turning your side upside down and inside out to cater for that tall forward line.

"We do think we've got the ability to match up fairly well against them, however for us it's a matter of making sure that everything else that is happening around the ground, is catered more for us playing our best footy, rather than stopping a small portion of their side."

READ MORE