On the Canberra Stadium turf with a Brumby on his chest, a pewter mug in hand and flames shooting into the sky from a pyrotechnic machine behind him.

"But it's probably been one of the finer things in my life," Slipper said of his move to the ACT Brumbies after helping them down his former club Queensland in the Super Rugby AU grand final.

"Coming down here and rediscovering not just my playing ability, but also life in general. I've been really happy down here. It's kind of bittersweet for me, playing against the Reds in a final, I bled for that team over the past decade.

"Culture gets thrown around a lot, but there is a genuine belief in the [Brumbies]. Blokes like coming in and training, it's an enjoyable environment.

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"Whenever you're enjoying your environment, you come in and you work harder, no matter your industry. I can't speak highly enough of the Brumbies. It starts from the top down with [Phil Thomson] the CEO, and Dan [McKellar] and the coaching staff."

Slipper came to the Brumbies last season for a second chance, an opportunity to rebuild his career after a battle with depression, sparked by his mum Deb's cancer diagnosis, led to a suspension for two positive tests to cocaine.

The former Queensland and Wallabies skipper who for so long had been renowned as the nation's premier loosehead prop had lost his way. He admits he didn't cope well.

But here in front of 6000 fans, where the Brumbies created a lasting memory for rugby fans in Canberra and watching from around the country, he seems content. More so, he seems happy. A post-match chat is filled with laughter and a cheeky back and forth with emerging star and man of the match Noah Lolesio.

Slipper is happy for more reasons than the euphoria of a grand final triumph that snapped a 16-year drought for the ACT, because his decision to chase a new start has paid off. Off the park, everything his family has been through brought them closer together.

Much like everything the Brumbies went through this season brought the group closer together in search of the ultimate goal. Think being forced out of home for pre-season training because the city's air quality was the worst in the world, a mumps outbreak, games being played in a state of emergency and the coronavirus pandemic.

Rather than breaking the Brumbies, it galvanised them. Now a new piece of silverware is being hailed as the beginning of a potential dynasty, one McKellar is set to oversee after turning down an offer to join the Wallabies.

That means more chances for Slipper to grab the grand final-winning mentor for a chat, just to see if he can "get out of all the hard training".

"It would mean a lot [to keep McKellar]. He's a coach that shows his emotions. The past two weeks, you could see how much it meant to him to get the result," Slipper said.

"We only lost three games this year. We've had a great year, but it was about making sure we actually got something from it.

"Australian teams in the past, we were happy to talk about being competitive, but at some point you've got to win something.

"That's what has been the best thing about this, it was pretty tough out there but we got the win. It was ugly at the end there, but at the end of the day it goes down in history that the Brumbies have won the competition."

Debate will rage as to whether the grand final win in a five-team competition carries the same weight as the triumphs of the Brumbies' golden era, the Reds in 2011 or NSW in 2014.

But they can only win what's in front of them, and players will tell you Australian derbies are the most bruising encounters they could hope to play in.

"As players we've really enjoyed it. Every game is really tough. We saw the [Western] Force, they didn't get a win but they were competitive. Every week has been bloody tough hey," Slipper said.

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"We'd like to play against other teams as well, especially the Kiwis. There's nothing better than playing the Kiwis, it's a job for the Wallabies to get that Bledisloe and that's the priority for them.

"For rugby in Australia, if we could play the Kiwis that would be ideal. I've been really happy with the level of rugby Australian teams have produced. Not just the Reds and the Brumbies, but all teams after the COVID period.

"It's been a tough year, but we're playing rugby. There are a lot of other people doing it a lot worse than us in other industries and in Melbourne. We're just grateful to be able to play."

Slipper jokes "being one of the older boys, I've really struggled" to get through the long year. But the campaign isn't done yet for the Test veteran as he prepares to enter Wallabies camp on Monday ahead of the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship.

There is little doubt the 31-year-old will be up to the task. Because while Super Rugby AU's best didn't get a chance to lock horns with their Aotearoa counterparts, the Wallabies will.

Gone are the days of being complacent with being competitive. Slipper has helped the Brumbies break a 16-year drought, now he wants to help the Wallabies win their first Bledisloe Cup since 2002.

"As a senior player I'm very excited for where Australian rugby can go, just by seeing the young players coming through," Slipper said.

"Noah himself, there's a plethora of players coming through. Look at Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight from the Reds, they're really good players.

"Test rugby is a step up, and Australian players have got to step up."