Brisbane Lions captain Tom Rockliff says Dayne Beams is loving life in the sunshine state and is already having an impact at the AFL club.

Former Collingwood star Beams’ move back to his home state was one of the biggest moves of the AFL off-season, uniting him with his brother Claye at the Lions.

He has hit the ground running, twice leading the club’s possession count during their unbeaten NAB Challenge pre-season campaign.

Rockliff revealed Beams had bonded with new teammates off the field too, including a Saturday afternoon punting session at his place.

“He’s had the boys over to the amazing mansion that he’s got now,” he said.

“He seems really relaxed off-field and from all reports he’s in probably the best space he’s been in for a long period of time.

“If we can translate that into the form he’s shown through his footy career, especially 2010 and 2011, he can take his game to another level and we can be a part of that.”

Rockliff believes he and the other Lions midfielders could be the biggest beneficiaries of Beams’ arrival.

“It gives us a massive chop out,” he said.

“Dayne is an elite midfielder and he’s probably going to get the most attention out of us all.

“We’ve got to help him … but it takes a bit of pressure off.”

The injection of the All-Australian into an already talented midfield means finals aren’t out of the question for Justin Leppitsch’s side, which won just seven games in 2014.

Not that Rockliff is thinking that far ahead.

The first-year captain says the first month is crucial to Brisbane’s season, with visits from Collingwood, Richmond and West Coast and a Q-Clash on the Gold Coast that could shape their year.

“We’ve got four games in Queensland (in our opening five) and if we can be 3-2 or 4-1, it’d be a really good start for us.”

“When we get to round five we can re-assess (our finals hopes).

“I think we can do it if we get our contested footy right.”