The hunter has become the hunted in the A-League - and ladder leaders the Brisbane Roar wouldn't have it any other way.
Brisbane are in everyone's sights after skipping away to a five-point lead on the A-League table following last Friday night's 2-1 win in Adelaide.
But classy Roar midfielder Thomas Broich said it was exactly where they wanted to be after learning a harsh lesson last season.
Two-time championship winners Brisbane were reduced to mere mortal status in 2012-13 after a horror start, at one stage suffering six losses in nine rounds.
However, the Roar dug deep and lost just once in their final seven regular season games to pull off fifth spot and eventually bow out in the semi-finals to Western Sydney Wanderers.
Now Brisbane are again in rarified air, Broich said he knew where he preferred to be on the A-League table ahead of Saturday night's away clash with cellar dwellers Wellington.
"It's nice to have accumulated so many points early on. There is not much pressure on us," he said.
"It's so hard to chase in this competition. We experienced it last year.
"The amount of work we needed to turn it around was incredible.
"It was really exhausting."
Not that the Roar are satisfied just yet, as their less than ecstatic reaction in Adelaide to their seventh win in nine games showed.
"We are just focused on performance and our reaction after the game showed that," Broich said.
"Yeah, we won a game. Yeah, we are top of the table. But we still weren't quite happy.
"It's about getting back to a proper commanding performance."
The Roar are yet to decide whether goalkeeper Michael Theo (shoulder) or defender Jade North (groin) will play Wellington - not that it is slowing Brisbane down.
"All the (team) changes don't seem to affect us at all," Broich said.
"It's really cool that we don't have to talk about people missing and all the changes.
"It's talking more about the positives."
