Brisbane Lions News

Chris Judd reveals that he tried his best to pull Brendan Fevola in line as the wayward forward began a series of drunken escapades that ultimately led to him being traded from Carlton.

"A lot of people have asked me since, `Why didn't you say something to him?'" Judd explained.

"I did have words with Brendan on Brownlow night and managed to stop him doing 'Street Talk'. We had a bit of an argument over that, at which time I grabbed (girlfriend) Bec and went up to bed.

"I'm completely comfortable with my behaviour on Brownlow night and what I did to help Fev. I don't feel responsible for Brendan's actions."

Wayne Carey says Brendan Fevola should take responsibility and accept the blame for his own actions.

"He may be sitting there pointing the finger or thinking I haven't done this or that, or it's not that bad," Carey said.

"But once again it's laying the blame on someone else. He is a victim of his own profile, but at the same time he has to take ownership of that and realise any little thing he does he will come under more scrutiny than any other player."

Last year's NAB Rising Star Daniel Rich clashes heads with teammate Daniel Merrett at training and will require 22 stitches above his eye.

"He's alright; he's a pretty resilient fella and he's pretty tough, so I think he'll probably even play tomorrow," teammate Simon Black said.

"His eye is shut over at the moment, so (in) another 24 hours, it might open up a bit."

AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson says investigations into Brendan Fevola's unauthorised picture of Lara Bingle have stalled due to a lack of co-operation from Bingle's management.

"The only stumbling block from our point of view in this investigation which we commenced straight away is that we do not have co-operation from Bingle's people (management) to be able to talk to her and we are continuing to seek to do so,'' Anderson told SEN radio.

"It is fundamental in any professional investigation to speak to the alleged victim and hear her version of events."

Brendan Fevola has been dropped from a campaign to promote rounds one and two of the Brisbane Lions 2010 season after being recently implicated in the unauthorised distribution of a compromising photo of model Lara Bingle.

Adrian Anderson says the AFL has taken a serious view of Brendan Fevola's alleged involvement in the release of a nude photo of Lara Bingle.

"Let me just be clear that from an AFL point of view, taking photos of women without their consent and circulating them in that situation is unacceptable," Anderson said.

"We are speaking to the club and we're speaking to the player and we'll make those enquiries before we decide any particular action in this case."

Blue-turned-Lion Brendan Fevola is greeted by boos in Friday's NAB Challenge match at Visy Park.

"You expect that. You get booed by most other team's [supporters] as well, so it's nothing - its water off a duck's back," Fevola said.

"I was a little bit nervous this morning before the game but once you're out there you just play footy."

Fevola kicked two goals in Brisbane's loss to Carlton.

Carlton's Andrew Carrazzo says the Blues have been trying to play down the hype surrounding Brendan Fevola's return to Visy Park in a NAB Challenge match with Brisbane.

"We've talked about it a little bit - it should be interesting. Obviously we haven't played against him before, but we'd just like to see it like any other game," Carazzo said.

"A few of the boys are still pretty close with Fev and he is that sort of guy who you can have a bit of a joke with, but it should be business as usual when we get out there."

Simon Black concedes that, at his age, his years as an AFL footballer may be numbered.

"Another couple of years would be great. Anything else would be an absolute bonus," Black said.

"I'd be disappointed if this was my last year but you never know once you pass 30.

"That's the reality of football but I'm not thinking it's my last year. I reckon I'll go at least one more after this one and then we'll see what happens."

Western Bulldog Jason Akermanis has his doubts as to whether Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola can work together in the Brisbane Lions' forward line saying that Daniel Bradshaw was a better complement for Brown.

"Bradshaw was a great sort of swingman for 'Browny' and 'Browny' was happy to play the lead role," Akermanis said.

"What will happen if two guys are playing the lead role? 'Hang on man, this is my show'. I know they are both very dominant guys, so they're both going to want their piece of the pie."

Jarrad Waite says he is excited about Carlton's new-look forward line after the departure of Brendan Fevola.

"It is really exciting because for the last 10 years that Brendan's been there, we've had one forward," Waite said.

"All clubs used to know to drop off `Fev', now we have a very potent forward line with Fisher, we'll chuck Kreuzer down there, Wiggins.

"We don't really want someone who's going to kick 80 goals, we want about four or five who are going to kick 30-35 ... and make it hard for oppositions to defend us."

Essendon defender Tayte Pears says it has been his intention to bulk up during this pre-season leading into 2010.

"It's been a big pre-season in the gym. I haven't wanted to put it all on at once, so I've put on a little bit and hopefully that helps this year," Pears said.

"My playing weight was around 89-90kg last year and I'm looking to play about 94 or 95kg this year."

Brendan Fevola says he hopes he can be part of a Brisbane side that can crack the top four in 2010.

"Hopefully I can add a bit of a different mix down there with Brownie and hopefully kick a few goals," Fevola said.

"Hopefully we'll finish top four. That's our expectation and if you finish top four, you've got every chance to win a premiership."

Brendan Fevola has revealed a little known ambition to become a policeman.

"Three years ago I actually studied for three months at Griffith University, here in Queensland, to be a policeman,'' he told students Cooroy State School on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Lions midfielder Daniel Rich says he learnt more from his side's defeat to the Western Bulldogs in the semi-final than his personal achievements in 2009.

"To play in the finals and having that feeling of losing, that's what spurs you on," he said.

"Individual stuff doesn't matter. That's what I learnt from my first year - just that hurt of losing."

Rich says he is prepared to handle a tag from opposition teams after a stellar first year.

"If it happens, you take it as a compliment and it will be a good learning curve for me," Rich said.

"There are plenty of good players in our team if I get targeted. You've just got to work a bit harder and communicate with the other boys, sort out your blocks and things like that. It comes down to work rate and it's down to pre-season and getting fitter and stronger"

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss is confident boom recruit Brendan Fevola will be ready to go for the NAB Cup clash with the Western Bulldogs.

"He's had a full pre-season. I think he might have missed one session since we started, so his work and his training has been really, really good," Brisbane coach Michael Voss said.

"You get to this time of year and if you get the opportunity to play, you probably want to play. Fev's no different. While I'm sure he's done well in training, I don't think training is necessarily his favourite part of the week."

Brisbane coach Michael Voss says gun recruit Brendan Fevola has recovered sufficiently from minor shoulder surgery over the pre-season and will be fit to play in the coming NAB Cup.

"Brendan can handle it fine. He's applied himself really well to his training. He loves to play and will certainly be putting his hand up, I'd have thought," Voss said.

Brisbane Lions ruckman Jamie Charman has bounced back strongly from the serious ankle injury that ruined his 2009 season with a strong pre-season that will hold him in good stead in 2010.

"Things are flying. I've never started a pre-season and I did six or seven weeks before Christmas so it was good going into the break knowing I had a base," he said.

"For most of last season I wasn't playing and I missed all the hype with Vossy's (coach Michael Voss) first year and the finals and everything so it has really motivated me and kept me hungry."

Brisbane Lion Aaron Cornelius has his sights set on breaking into the team's star-studded forward set-up after improving his size and strength this pre-season.

"Playing in the reserves or the under-18s, I suppose talent can get you through, but when you get to the highest level you need to be physical with the bigger guys, so the gym isn't really something I can choose, I had to get in there and do the work," he said.

"It's been enjoyable to see the improvements in the gym, in the weights, and I'm looking forward to getting into the games to try out the new weight and strength that i have, to see how much I've improved."

New draftee Claye Beams says he was made to feel welcome at his new club, the Brisbane Lions.

"I was pretty nervous when I showed up, with guys like Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola there," the Gold Coast product said.

"But they are all really good blokes and all came up and talked to us and made us feel welcome. They made it a hell of a lot easier to settle in.

"I had a meeting with the Lions and they got in touch with me after the national draft and said they were interested, so it was great to get picked up by the club."

The Brisbane Lions select Japanese-born Sean Yoshiura in the 2009 rookie draft.

Yoshiura represented Queensland at under-16 level and played with Mt Gravatt in the 2009 QAFL state league grand final.

"As a family, we are pretty big with AFL," Yoshiura said.

"Dad is always excited and he's very happy now. We have been Lions fans since we got here, and it is a great thrill to be chosen by them."

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss says he was sad to hear of the passing of former Brisbane Lion Brent Green who drowned on the Gold Coast recently while surfing.

"I grew up playing football either with or against Brent since I was 11 years-old, from the Queensland junior ranks to our time together in the AFL," Voss said.

"He was a gentle giant but showed some serious aggression out on the footy field.

"Our thoughts are with his family at this incredibly tough time."

Blues recruiting manager Wayne Hughes explains his decision to draft 3 smaller players, including Kane Lucas, Marcus Davies and Rohan Kerr, at the 2009 NAB AFL draft rather than a tall player to replace the now-departed Brendan Fevola.

Hughes' explanation comes in the wake of some backlash by Carlton supporters over his decisions at the draft.

"We rated Kane Lucas higher than any of the tall players left in the draft at pick 10 as John Butcher had already gone to Port Adelaide. You will find the draft full of tall players taken first round who didn't work," Hughes said.

Key position player Bryce Retzlaff went from shattered to elated in a matter of minutes on draft night after being overlooked by the Brisbane Lions at pick No. 73 before being selected at pick No. 84.

"My number got read out and I said 'that's my number' and the house nearly fell down," he said.

"We were running around and jumping around. It was crazy. Initially it was bad when I thought I missed out but it ended up being better because it wasn't expected. It was unbelievable."

Ex-Saint Matt Maguire is looking forward to a new start with the Brisbane Lions after playing 99 games for St Kilda.

"I think about all the great times and playing with great players of the game like Harvs and modern day greats like my mate Nick Riewoldt. I played 99 games and had fun and feel I've been very lucky but I'm looking forward to going to Brisbane and making a name for myself there," Maguire said.

Rhan Hooper says he wants to leave his frustrations from his time at the Brisbane Lions behind him after being recruited by the Hawks in the 2009 national draft.

"That's all in the past now. I just want to move forward and hopefully get into the finals this year," Hooper said of this time in Brisbane.

"Right up to the end I wasn't quite sure who I was going to go to, but Hawthorn is a strong club and I look forward to playing a couple of senior games this year if I can force my way through."

Geelong Falcon Callum Bartlett didn't play a game in 2009 after damaging his ACL, but after completing rehab with the Cats he is still rated highly.

"It was a change of direction thing I've done a million times, except this time I was unbalanced," Bartlett said of his injury.

"It was frustrating. The next thing I knew I was at the doctor and physio and getting MRIs."

Joel Macdonald is not among the delisted players looking for new homes in next week's NAB AFL Draft heightening speculation of him having agreed to a deal that will see him signed to a club via the pre-season draft.

Sydney Swans assistant coach Peter Berbakov says prospective recruit Daniel Bradshaw has been put in cotton wool ahead of next month's NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft.

"Hopefully once he gets over the line in the pre-season draft, we can really ramp him up but being an older player, we can afford to take our time with him," he said.

"He's had a lot of pre-seasons to get some good conditioning and he won't take long to get up to speed. He's just being cotton-woolled at this stage."

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss says he has moved on from full forward Daniel Bradshaw leaving the club.

"As a coach you make decisions on what you think the best direction of the football club is and we've chosen this direction and Braddy has moved on," Voss said.

Brett Ratten says he hasn't spoken to Brendan Fevola since the key forward was traded and is disappointed he hasn't cleared the air with the now-Brisbane Lion.

"Do you call him and have a chat about it or do you expect that at 29 he might get on the front foot and talk about it? But that wasn't the case and every individual is different," Ratten said.

"Maybe he just needed some space and to reflect on it later in life."

Former Lion Daniel Bradshaw says he feels like a new draftee now he has started training with the Swans.

"It is a bit strange. It's hard to explain; it's a bit like being redrafted," he said.

"It will take a few weeks to get to know everyone's name but I'm really looking forward to it. It's a fresh start and it's really exciting."

Former Brisbane Lion Daniel Bradshaw reveals he did not anticipate being offered as trade bait to Carlton for Brendan Fevola.

"It's fair to say I wasn't over the moon about it. I didn't really see it coming," Bradshaw said.

"I probably thought two months ago that Brisbane was going to be the team where I was going to end my career but that's the way footy is now and I've sort of moved on."

Former Lion Daniel Bradshaw will begin training with the Swans this week despite uncertainty about his future.

"He's uncontracted now so we can put him on our training list and he can train with us," Sydney coach Paul Roos said.

"We'll get him down here, make sure he gets involved and meets the players and we'll move forward on that basis."

Sydney coach Paul Roos believes Daniel Bradshaw will fit in perfectly at the Swans next to young forward Jesse White after the departures of Barry Hall and Michael O'Loughlin.

"Bradshaw is just the perfect player who can play out of full-forward with Jesse White next to him, so being able to emulate what Mick's been able to do and kick goals and help Jesse and tackle and set up things," Roos said.

"In terms of the number of goals, who knows? But in terms of the amount of experience, we know he can be a quality player and person who can provide some experience that we've lost."

Daniel Bradshaw's manager has informed the Swans that he wants to play in Sydney in 2010 and beyond.

Lions CEO Michael Bowers says the Lions tried to keep Daniel Bradshaw, but he wanted a longer, more lucrative deal.

"Through his manager, we understand that he is seeking a longer and more lucrative deal," Bowers said.

"It was not a situation where we wanted to get rid of Daniel. Not at all. We wanted to keep him. We offered him a contract and he made the decision to reject it."

Ex-Lion Daniel Bradshaw is seen as a key target to fill the holes left in the Sydney Swans' forward line by the departures of Barry Hall and Michael O'Loughlin.

"We are certainly interested in Daniel Bradshaw, as we've had some discussions with his management and they will be ongoing," Swans CEO Andrew Ireland told the Herald Sun.

"We lost Barry Hall and Michael O'Loughlin - two key forwards over the past year - and we've got high hopes for Jesse White. We think he is going to be a player, but he's only a youngster, so we think Daniel would complement our set up well."

Daniel Bradshaw is looking for a new home after rejecting Brisbane's two-year deal.

"He's advised them he wouldn't accept any offer from the club and he was going to have a week off and look at the market place," Bradshaw's manager Colin Young told the Courier Mail.

Joel Macdonald is already attracting interest around the league after being delisted by the Lions this week.

"Certainly Fremantle have expressed interest in Joel. He'll have to come back to Brisbane and then he'll meet with the appropriate people involved with Fremantle, as he will other football clubs, and then he'll assess his options from there," Macdonald's manager Marty Pask said.

"There are other clubs that are looking at Joel, and we'll need to assess the right fit, but certainly Joel will be meeting with Fremantle when he gets back."

The Lions have delisted senior players Joel Macdonald, Scott Harding, Rhan Hooper, Jason Roe, Scott Clouston, Kieran King and Matthew Tyler, and rookies Daniel Dzufer, Pat Garner, Daniel Murray, Adam Spackman and Joel Tippett after a huge cull of Brisbane's list instigated by coach Michael Voss.

Lachlan Henderson says he put his hand up to move to Carlton after sensing he may have had a lack of opportunities at Brisbane if Brendan Fevola moved north.

"When I first heard about bringing Fev up north, I knew it would put me out for a couple of years," Henderson said.

"I spoke to Vossy on Thursday night and then again on Friday morning after the decision was made.

"He said they didn't want to lose me but it was my choice and he would understand either way. So from there it came down purely to opportunity."

Michael Rischitelli's reluctance to join the Blues puts the trade involving a swap for Brendan Fevola with him and teammate Daniel Bradshaw in jeopardy.

''He's staying in Brisbane,'' Rischitelli's manager Rick Olarenshaw said.

''He's got a Queensland girl, long-term partner, and he's happy in Queensland. And he loves playing for Vossy.''

Brisbane Lions Daniel Bradshaw and Michael Rischitelli were given a tour of Carlton's headquarters at Visy Park after being linked to a trade involving Carlton spearhead Brendan Fevola.

Bradshaw will have to pass a medical examination before Carlton accepts the deal.

Homesickness was only part of the reason behind Bradd Dalziell's return home to play with West Coast.

"Playing games in Brisbane I was enjoying myself, but being left out of the side got my thinking about other things other than football," Dalziell said.

"I was just a bit frustrated towards the end of the year, not being able to play senior footy [while] playing good footy in the local league.

"This is a good opportunity to come back home and play some good senior footy."

West Coast, the Sydney Swans and the Lions look to have arranged for four players to change clubs.

Amon Buchanan and Brent Staker will head to Brisbane, Sydney will acquire Mark Seaby while the Eagles are set to gain Brad Dalziell.

"It's a good opportunity for him (Buchanan). We had some discussion with him at the end of the year - both us and Amon were undecided - should he stay at Sydney or should he go," Sydney coach Paul Roos said.

"He's a premiership player and a fantastic player, but probably his past couple of years he's been battling a little bit.

"Brisbane was interested, so we were happy to facilitate that, which means we can get Seaby in."

Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown won the club's best and fairest count by one vote from a fast-finishing Simon Black to claim his third straight club champion award for the club.

Richmond's 2009 caretaker coach, Jade Rawlings, has quit the club to become an assistant at the Brisbane Lions.

Former Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews reveals he tried to get Damien Hardwick as an assistant and says that Hardwick will succeed as the new head coach of Richmond.

"I offered Damien a job with the Brisbane Lions when he retired from Port so I have a great regard for his character and capabilities," Matthews said.

"I would think he should do very well."

Carlton captain Chris Judd has made an unsuccessful appearance before the AFL appeals board on Thursday night and his three-match ban for making contact with what Judd described as Lion Michael Rischitelli's "pressure point" will stand.

"I'm disappointed with the result," Judd said.

"Obviously the act itself was less than a second's worth of stupidity. Probably even more stupid were my comments in the press the next day with reference to a pressure point.

"It was a comment which evoked a lot of passion amongst both the media and the public alike. I've since watched a couple of Steven Seagal movies and realised that pressure points are no laughing matter."

Carlton aims to overturn captain Chris Judd's three match suspension for misconduct against Michael Rischitelli.

Carlton is appealing on the basis that ''the decision was so unreasonable that no tribunal acting reasonably could have come to that decision having regard to the evidence before it''.

Judd has earlier claimed he was attempting to inflict pain on Rischitelli by making contact with a "pressure point" on Rischitelli's face but later claimed it was just a "poorly timed joke".

Carlton captain Chris Judd will miss the first three matches of the 2010 season after being found guilty of misconduct for making inappropriate contact with Lion Michael Rischitelli's face.

Judd was initially offered a two-match suspension but chose to contest the charge unsuccessfully resulting in his three-match ban.

"Obviously I'm disappointed with the outcome but now we'll go and assess our options and we'll make further comment at a later date," Judd said after the hearing.

Brisbane utility Tim Notting has announced he will retire from playing at the end of the club's AFL finals campaign.

"I've been thinking about retiring for a while now," Notting said.

"I eventually came to the realisation that I probably didn't have the drive to complete another pre-season.

"I'm incredibly proud to have been a part of this football club for the past 13 years and I'm really going to miss being part of it all."

The match review panel charges Carlton's Chris Judd with misconduct for making unnecessary contact with Lion Michael Rischitteli's face.

Judd can accept a two-match ban for his transgression.

AFL Ron Barassi slams Carlton captain Chris Judd over his maneuver involving facial pressure points on Brisbane's Michael Rischitelli.

"It's disappointing because this guy is a hero for many, many people, including myself. Because he's a great player, he's got strength, skill, the whole lot. And he seems to keep himself in good shape mentally and physically and he says the right things. He'll regret this day for a long while," Barassi said.

Chris Judd's is expected to face an eye-gouging charge against Brisbane's Michael Rischitelli despite the Carlton captain claiming he was only making contact with Rischitelli's pressure point.

"I was pushing my thumb into the pressure point behind his ear," Judd said.

"It's a pretty stupid thing to do. I haven't actually seen it on the footage, but I assume my hands are close to his eyes. I don't know if the pressure point was really hurting him, but it was a dumb thing to do."

Carlton captain Chris Judd is seen to have made questionable contact with Lion Michael Rischitelli's face as the two struggled while on the ground in the elimination final between the two sides at the Gabba.

Brisbane coach Michael Voss says 2009 NAB Rising Star winner Daniel Rich has earned respect with his talent and temperament.

"The big thing for Daniel is that he's earned his respect by just working hard," Voss said.

"He's earned his reputation within our group from the work ethic that he's been able to have."

"No matter what he achieves from this year on, we know that he's had some immediate impact on our group."

Daniel Rich becomes the first unanimous NAB AFL Rising Star winner since Jared Rivers in 2004.

Rich says he is enjoying playing for the Lions.

"I always supported the Eagles but I'm Brisbane through and through now. I didn't really think about it too much," he said.

"I like Brisbane. It has good weather and a good lifestyle. I wasn't disappointed. I just wanted the chance to play AFL and the opportunity to be at a club. Not being able to stay home didn't bother me whatsoever," he said.

Brisbane Lion Jared Brennan says he has learnt from his one-match suspension after headbutting Port Adelaide's Josh Carr.

"There was definitely a bit of soul searching," Brennan said.

"It was very out of character, it was the first time that it has ever happened to me so it was a really awkward situation.

"I like to think I am a better player for it."

Brisbane Lions utility Jared Brennan will play his first finals match on Saturday, in his 100th AFL game against the Blues.

The versatile Brennan has played in a variety of positions in 2009.

"This week depending on what lineup we go it could be full forward, could be ruck, could be back; I just don't know until the day," he said.

"It doesn't bother me. Wherever the team needs me I think is where I'll play and where I'll try and adapt to the best of the team's needs."

The Brisbane Lions will be missing five key players in their elimination final against Carlton.

Daniel Merrett (hamstring), Daniel Bradshaw (quad) and Jed Adcock (knee) will all be sidelined for at least another week, and are likely to be joined by Simon Black (hamstring) and Josh Drummond (quad) who were injured in their final regular season match against the Swans.

''All those players are probably registered down as 'test' but are fairly likely to be unlikely to play, so we've got to plan ahead without them there,'' Lions coach Michael Voss said.

''Normally I'd sit here and say they're 50:50 but they're probably less than that so there's no real point dragging out that process any longer than we need to. If they come up then good, but we're not expecting them to.''

Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown wants to atone for four years without finals action.

"Watching the finals the last four or five years has just hurt more and more," Brown said.

"To see the teams go out there and play and you almost thought it was your right to be out there playing in finals and grand finals.

"I'm glad that I can get back out and show some of my frustration on the weekend."

Simon Black says the influence of Michael Voss cannot be underestimated after the rookie Brisbane coach guided the side to their first finals series since 2004.

"Vossy's style is really positive - a lot of the younger guys get a real kick out of him. He doesn't look for the negatives," Black said.

"He's the sort of guy that you get a real sense he's proud of the group. And you get a real kick out of it as a player.

"A lot of our younger guys are playing better footy this year because he's instilled that confidence in them. Hopefully it lasts for a while."

Jed Adcock's season may be over after pulling up sore in the reserves last week.

"He hasn't come out of the game as we would have liked last week so he won't come into the team," Voss said.

"We've just got to make sure that we get some more fitness into him."

The Brisbane Lions could have an added ruck option for the finals, as Matthew Leuenberger nears full fitness after recovering from a knee injury.

"There's definitely still a chance I'll play this year. I'm hoping to return round 21 or 22 through the reserves," Leuenberger said.

"My strength and fitness is not really different to what it was before the knee injury so there is really no reason why I can't play any different to what I used to."

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss says Josh Drummond is carrying an injury but won't reveal details.

Brisbane Lions assistant coach Adrian Fletcher has hailed AFL moves to clamp down on off-the-ball harassment.

"Defenders going beyond the rules is unsettling to my players," Fletcher said.

"If you get belted in the ribs consistently and your kidneys, can you imagine by the end of the game.

"Niggling is fine but when it's a full blow to your lower kidney, what can you do about it? Do you retaliate or do you run off the ground?"

Brisbane Lions assistant coach Adrian Fletcher has thrown his hat into the ring for the Richmond coaching position.

"I've been an assistant for seven years," Fletcher said.

"There's a time in your life when you've got to start putting your name out there to make sure that people understand where you want to go in life.

"I want to be a senior coach, no doubt about that. I've learned off three coaches, Mick Malthouse, Bomber Thompson and Leigh Matthews, who have seven premierships, so although I'm not a premiership player I've been in the coaching arena where I understand how it works."

A complaint by Brisbane on the treatment received by captain Jonathan Brown has resulted in head of umpires Jeff Gieschen sending an email to clubs informing them that umpires will closely monitor illegal, off-the-ball treatment of forwards for the rest of the season.

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss says any AFL coach that deliberately loses games by tanking should be banned for life.

"I would be very confident to suggest there's never been a coach who has come into a game and said 'we want to lose this game'," Voss said.

"If there is, they should ban him for life."

Jonathan Brown speaks about his decision to stay with Brisbane after significant offers from Collingwood to become a Magpie.

''To be honest it was a consideration,'' Brown said.

''You're probably trying to weigh up what you want to do for the rest of your life. It was more the lifestyle thing and where you wanted to be.

'In the end you weigh up the footy club and I decided this was where I wanted to be.''

North Melbourne ruckman David Hale has been dropped from the side to face Carlton due to poor form against the Brisbane Lions.

"When I first took over he had a couple of strong games but didn't get the reward," North Melbourne caretaker coach Darren Crocker said.

"I think he kicked four points against Sydney after taking 10 marks but last week he had a poor game and we just want him to go back and recapture a little bit of form in the VFL."

Simon Black will play his 250th game against Collingwood this week.

"I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd play 250 games when I was drafted here," Black said.

"It is a bit surreal, it's been a fantastic journey and one [where] I've been very blessed to be drafted by the Brisbane Lions.

"When I was a kid growing up I thought AFL players were freaks on TV. When you get drafted you realise they're normal people, normal players, they work hard and give themselves a chance."

Brisbane Lion Albert Proud has pleaded guilty to assault and must complete 100 hours community service.

Proud was involved in a glass-throwing incident at a Gold Coast establishment in February this year where two women were injured.

Proud has apologised to the two women and has also paid them $8,000 in compensation.

Brisbane Lion Tim Notting has accepted a one-match ban for striking and will not play against Collingwood on Saturday night.

Tim Notting is offered a one-match suspension subject to a guilty plea for striking Kangaroo Scott Thompson in Saturday's match at the Gabba.

Injured Brisbane Lions ruckman Jamie Charman says his teammates are playing for rookie coach Michael Voss and will improve even more before September.

"I think we're only going to improve because I don't think we've really put together four solid quarters yet, except for maybe against the Sydney Swans," Charman said.

"There's plenty of improvement there for us, and we're only going to get better as the years go on."

Brisbane Lions ruckman Jamie Charman believes there will still be a role for him under Michael Voss next year, despite another injury-affected season.

Charman, 27, played just three games before injuring his ankle in round four this year. He attempted to get back for two months before going in for a season-ending reconstruction last month.

"I've got no doubt in my mind that I can still be one of the better ruckmen in the league, and be up there to influence a game in the ruck," Charman said.

"Over the last couple of years, it's been a little bit of a battle for me with injuries, but in saying that, I haven't had a decent pre-season over the past couple of years either.

"If I can get a good pre-season under my belt, I'm sure that will help me throughout the season."

The Lions have received good news, with scans revealing Jared Brennan may be able to play this weekend despite spraining his ankle in Brisbane's match against Fremantle.

Brennan's teammate Daniel Bradshaw, however, will miss the next 2-3 weeks with a minor hamstring tear.

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss says draftee Daniel Rich would be the 'unluckiest person in history' to miss out on the NAB AFL Rising Star award after the young midfielder tallied 31 disposals and played a key role in the Lions defeating Fremantle by 15 points at Subiaco Oval.

"The way he's been able to conduct himself this year and the way he's played has belied his age," Voss said.

"I think he's grown into his role. I think he's grown into the club and he feels like he belongs there. He's making a valuable contribution.

"I'm not really tremendously into individual awards, but Daniel Rich would probably have to be the unluckiest person in history not to win the rising star this year."

Scans have revealed that Brisbane lion Jed Adcock has a tibial plateau fracture of his right knee that will not require a knee-reconstruction.

Adcock is expected to be out for 10 to 12 weeks with the injury.

Recent tests of the Brisbane Lions' player rooms have found no presence of the Staphylococcus caprae infection that affected ruckman Matthew Leuenberger and development coach Craig Brittain after their respective knee operations.

Brisbane's Simon Black has a simple piece of advice for Daniel Rich when he returns home to WA this weekend - turn your phone off.

"You're only there once a year. All your family and your friends want to catch up with you and you've got to focus on the job at hand," Black said.

"If you worry about dividing your time between what your focus is and your family and friends, you will lose your focus on the game."

Michael Voss hopeful that one of his young players can fill the breach in the wake of Jed Adcock's serious knee injury.

The defender twisted awkwardly in the opening minutes of Saturday night's win over Geelong and left the field in pain after injuring his right knee.

"The prognosis straight away was that he was likely to be out for the year, and there's been nothing in the last sort of 24 hours that would suggest that that's changed," Brisbane coach Michael Voss said.

"Another person gets his opportunity. We hope that it's going to be a Tom Collier or a Pearce Hanley ... that's the opportunity that they now have."

Rodney Eade says his club has moved on from last year's effort to lure Barry Hall but won't rule him out completely.

"If push came to shove, you'd say highly unlikely," Eade said.

"We'll talk about these sorts of things later on. We haven't even thought about it right now. It's a list management issue for us to discuss down the track."

Jonathan Brown says Barry Hall should play on, and that not only the Bulldogs will chase him.

"If he wants to keep playing, you would think there would be interest at the end of the season," Brown said.

"I am sure he still has some good football left in him and who knows after he has time now to walk away and clear his head, get over his niggles."

AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson says the Jared Brennan-Josh Carr head-butting case is proof that the system is working well.

Brennan was charged by the match review panel with a level four head-butting offence, which initially attracted a three week ban, but with a 25 per cent reduction for his five-year good behaviour record, and then a further 25 per cent for his early guilty plea, that came down to a week, with 82 points carried on his record (100 points equals a week).

"It's the way the system works, the fact that he's played more than five years now without ever being suspended is a big credit to him as a player," Anderson said.

"He gets a significant benefit for having managed to go five years without being suspended.

"On that basis, he gets the extra benefit of what would otherwise be a two-week suspension becoming a one-week suspension.

"It's all very well for people to say 'oh, one week's not enough', but I think players who manage to get through five years of regularly playing at the top level, and not have any blot against their name, are worthy of some credit for that."

Defender Troy Chaplin and Daniel Pratt have failed to overturn their charges at the AFL tribunal.

Chaplin argued that he had no realistic alternative as he was committed to making a contest against Brisbane's Daniel Rich which the field umpire deemed as "late, unnecessary and unreasonable".

"I'm not sure what I'm expected to do in that situation," Chaplin told the tribunal via video link-up from Adelaide.

"I'm not sure how I could deviate when I've chosen to go."

Brisbane Lion Jared Brennan can consider himself lucky to be able to escape with a one-match suspension for a charge of headbutting Port Adelaide's Josh Carr.

The match review panel offers Melbourne Colin Sylvia four weeks for striking Scott Selwood, Jared Brennan gets offered one-week for headbutting Josh Carr and Troy Chaplin two weeks for striking Daniel Rich.

Port Adelaide tagger Josh Carr says he doesn't know what prompted Brisbane Lion Jared Brennan to headbutt him at AAMI Stadium on Saturday.

With Brisbane trailing by 14 points early in the final term, Brennan threw Carr to the ground off the ball and then headbutted him.

Brennan gave away a 50m penalty, which resulted in a goal, and was reported for misconduct.

"I was a little bit amazed at what happened there, considering the umpire was right there," Carr said after the win.

"But these things happen. Some people do these sorts of things. It started as a bit of a push and shove and got out of hand. He got me in the sweet spot, which caused the bleeding.

"I actually didn't do a hell of a lot and I wasn't shaken up or anything like that. I don't know what will come out of it, so we'll wait and see."

Josh Drummond has been ruled out of Saturday's clash with Port Adelaide as he recovers from a calf injury.

"You've got to be very careful with injuries now, particularly with soft-tissue injuries," Brisbane assistant coach Justin Leppitsch said today.

"We're very mindful with him, he's got a bit of a history with ongoing injury, so we've just got to manage him very carefully."

AIS-AFL high performance coach Jason McCartney has called for people to lay off Jack Watts.

"Jack Watts has copped a bit of heat unnecessarily," McCartney said on Wednesday at Docklands, the venue for the final day of the NAB AFLUnder-18 Championships.

"You can't compare him to Nic Naitanui, or Daniel Rich. Daniel Rich has played in two premierships for Subiaco - and has a big, strong body. Nic Naitanui played a year of senior football last year.

"Jack Watts is a schoolboy, who has played four TAC Cup games. It's hard to really compare those boys who get the opportunity to play some senior footy, it probably does help them."

Brisbane Lions skipper Jonathan Brown says the older Lions have long memories when it comes to clashes against Port Adelaide.

"There's plenty of hatred between the Lions and Port Adelaide over the years," he said.

"They always seemed to be one-point and six-point games and there used to be plenty of animosity and physicality in those contests.

"We played in some finals and they beat us on the ultimate stage in 2004 and that was hard to stomach because that was the biggest rivalry at the time along with Collingwood.

"For myself and some of the older guys there's still plenty of passion against them."

Jared Brennan added another fine performance to his 2009 resume against Melbourne with 26 disposals and 10 marks, but missed shots on goal left him disappointed after kicking just four behinds.

"In front of goals I didn't capitalise on the chances I had which kind of makes it a little bit disappointing," Brennan said.

"I kicked 0.4, that's just not good enough, especially if you're playing quality opposition like Geelong or St Kilda. You just can't waste those opportunities. The team's probably rapt with the way they went, but myself personally, I'm kicking myself I didn't convert and take my chances."

The Brisbane Lions will decide on Thursday whether to take a punt on injured defensive lynchpin Josh Drummond against Melbourne at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Drummond's strained calf was set to undergo a rigorous workout in the Lions' main hit-out for the week, an intensive closed session on Wednesday night at the Gabba.

"We pick our best side week in, week out and if Drummo is fit and we believe he can play his percentage of game time, we've got to pick the best side," Lions assistant coach Adrian Fletcher said.

Brisbane Lion Albert Proud will be sentenced next month over a glassing attack in a Gold Coast nightclub.

The Courier-Mail reports Proud intends to plead guilty to two counts of assault stemming from an incident at Surfers Paradise nightspot Cocktails and Dreams, back in January.

Lions coach Michael Voss says Nathan Buckley has the right stuff to make it as a senior coach.

"He's had the pressure of being the captain of the Collingwood Football Club and he's had that constant pressure since the day he walked into the Brisbane Bears back in 1992," Voss said.

"If there's anyone who's able to step up ... it will be Nathan."

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss remains hopeful of regaining ruckman Matthew Leuenberger later this year after Jamie Charman was ruled out for the season.

Charman was due to undergo an ankle reconstruction on Monday after battling to overcome the injury he sustained against Collingwood in round four.

Coach Michael Voss said the medical and coaching staff made the decision to have surgery on Friday after Charman failed to respond to treatment.

"He couldn't change direction and he was obviously still having a problem with his ligaments, so it was just too unstable and too risky for him to come back and do some serious damage to himself," Voss said.

"Eventually you've got to make a call and for his own interests we had to make that on Friday, he wasn't making any progression."

Five goals to Jonathan Brown and a stunning second half sinks the Hawks at Aurora Stadium in Launceston.

Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown says utility Jared Brennan is knocking on the door of the game's upper echelon.

"The second half of last year he was nearly our best and I think he has developed into a really good player in the AFL," Brown said.

"The reason we can say that now is because he has become very consistent and he is certainly our most versatile player. He can play anywhere on the ground.

"Week-in, week-out, he is producing, especially in crunch games. He stands up in the big games, which says a lot about him.

"He had been under a lot of pressure early in his career because he was a highly touted first-round draft pick and has started to hit his straps.

"He has been fantastic for us and hopefully we can keep him fit and firing, because we need him."

Despite conceding eight goals to Carlton's Brendan Fevola in round 11, Joel Macdonald is ready to tackle Hawk pair Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead.

"It was a bit of a shock. It's the most goals I've had kicked on me," Macdonald said about his effort on Fevola.

"He's the strongest player I've ever played on and I was sceptical of how I'd play on him and it took a while to figure it out.

"I was down and disappointed. I thought I could have played more in front of him because he's more of a hit-up leading type player.

"You live and you learn. I've love another chance at him."

Josh Drummond has been ruled out of Brisbane's next clash with Hawthorn, worsening the Lions' defensive injury crisis.

The Brisbane Lions have the depth to cover a defence further depleted by another injury, says ruckman Mitch Clark.

Rebounding half-back Drummond suffered a calf injury in the first quarter of Saturday night's six-point loss against Carlton and did not return to the field.

"You always want Drummo in your side," he said.

"He's a great kick, probably one of the best kicks going around a the moment so he provides a lot of that drive, but hopefully the boys can pick up the slack in that sort of area if Drummo misses."

Brisbane Lions defender Joel Macdonald has broken his silence on his brush with the law during the off-season.

The 24-year-old was charged with being a public nuisance on September 20 after being involved in an argument at a taxi rank in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. He was later fined $250.

"It was a wake-up call. I'm not one of the players in the limelight, but it makes you realise that regardless of what your name is, if you stuff up and carry on a bit, it's going to make the papers," he said.

"All young guys love to have a good time in the off-season. There is a binge drinking problem with guys my age, whether they are playing football or not.

"I have definitely pulled my head in a bit and matured a lot quicker as a result of it."

Andrew Carrazzo is among several Blues in contention to bolster Carlton's midfield for the clash with Brisbane this weekend after being out with a fractured finger since round 6.

"His fitness levels are outstanding from training, running around half touching the ball with his other hand," Carlton coach Brett Ratten said.

"Now he can fully touch it, so he's right."

Brisbane Lions ruckman Mitch Clark has taken up the mantle of number-one after the loss of Jamie Charman and Matthew Leuenberger.

"I'm just enjoying my footy at the moment and enjoying the task and the challenge of going up against the ruckmen, so hopefully I can continue with my form and provide a contest for the team," Clark said.

Daniel Rich is fitting in well at the Lions and is sometimes still pinching himself as he continues to live out his dreams.

"I'm lucky enough to just be getting a game each week and living out my dream every weekend so for me every single game I play is exciting," he said.

"I didn't have many expectations coming in. I didn't have a clue what it was like. Playing senior footy in WA was a step between but here it's your whole life.

"Once you're out there it's just another game of footy but when you're sitting at home I think ˜I'm just 18 and playing AFL' which is pretty amazing."

A sickening head-knock continues to take its toll on Troy Selwood.

"He is just going through a stage of testing," Brisbane coach Michael Voss said.

"We are obviously quite careful about head knocks and when guys have concussion.

"For his own interests it would be better if he could come back in (the reserves), get his confidence back, see the ball without the pressurised environment of the AFL."

Brisbane Lions' Mr Fix-It Jared Brennan is ready to take on St Kilda giants Steven King and Michael Gardiner.

"I don't think I'll be playing much at the defensive end because of our lack of ruckmen," he said.

"If I get given the task to go back I'll relish it but it's definitely not the first option. But if (Nick) Riewoldt and (Justin) Koschitzke start kicking a bag of goals I'll probably head back then.

"Our structures have worked well the last few weeks, so we don't really want to mess with those. I wouldn't think we'll change too much."

The Brisbane Lions have finally had enough of Jason Akermanis, and have said so publicly with Brisbane coach Michael Voss demanding that Akermanis explain comments about the Lions made to the media.

Akermanis accused former teammates Justin Leppitsch and Mal Michael of being petty and snubbing his 2001 wedding because they felt he didn't deserve his Brownlow that year.

"Our fundamental philosophy is that our club is our people - eventually you have to sit there and say `you can't possibly take that'," Voss said.

First-year coach Michael Voss urged Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley to follow his instincts and take a senior role next year.

"He will have a very definite thought about what he thinks the right way to go about it is. If he thinks that's next year, then go for it," Voss said.

"If he's ready to do it, go for it. You have to back yourself in eventually. You don't want to do it flippantly without any background at all. But if you have got a belief you can do it, then back yourself in, because that takes courage also to be able to do that."

Key Brisbane Lions defenders Daniel Merrett and Joel Patfull will both be sidelined by injury for at least four matches.

Merrett has ligament damage in his right ankle while Patfull has a broken jaw.

Both players were injured during their clash against Adelaide.

Daniel Bradshaw believes his record as the Lions all-time goalscorer will not last long.

Bradshaw broke Alastair Lynch's record but believes its only a matter of time before Jonathan Brown surpasses him.

"It's nice to pass the record, Lynchy was a bloke I looked up to, but I'm only baby-sitting it for Browny," he said.

Daniel Bradshaw etched his name in the Brisbane Lions record book by becoming the club's all-time leading goalkicker after kicking 5 against the Crows.

Brisbane has picked its least experienced side under Michael Voss with midfielder Matt Austin named to make his debut against Adelaide.

Gutsy Richmond defender Alex Rance surprised his teammates yesterday, showing up for training just four days after a horrific collision with Brisbane Lions midfielder Troy Selwood.

Rance, his face still badly swollen, had plates and screws inserted into his cheekbone on Sunday to repair three small cracks in his face.

Simon Black has praised Michael Voss's ability as coach of the Brisbane Lions.

"I know a lot of people have doubted whether he would be up for it because he hasn't coached before," Black said about Voss as coach.

"But his knowledge of the game, personal and communication skills allow him to do the job fantastically well.

"The guys sit on every word he says.

"He's got that pull with the playing group.

"From the oldest guy to the youngest guy, everyone is rapt with having him at the club."

After a shocking head clash, Brisbane Lion Troy Selwood is unlikely to play against Adelaide.

Brisbane coach Michael Voss was impressed with his team rallying around Troy Selwood who suffered from a sickening collision with Tiger Alex Rance after their win against Richmond.

"Every now again as a coach you get goose bumps about different things, and I got goose bumps when I saw that," Voss said on Monday.

"I thought 'that's what teamwork is all about' - when one of your mates puts his body on the line for you and is willing to hurt himself for the greater cause.

"When you see all the guys go over to him after the game and acknowledge that effort, it is spine tingling."

Richmond defender Alex Rance hopes he might miss only a fortnight after his horrific collision with Brisbane Lion Troy Selwood.

Joel Patfull continued to build his impressive defensive resume, claiming another star scalp in Brett Deledio during his team's win over Richmond at the MCG.

"They were dominating early," Patfull said.

"We were getting smashed in the clearances and they were spreading and moving the ball pretty well.

"But we got on top of them, and we started to take a few of our chances."

Richmond youngster Alex Rance is in hospital after a sickening head clash with Brisbane's Troy Selwood at the MCG today.

Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown wishes Richmond star Matthew Richardson a speedy recovery, but is relieved the big Tiger won't be prowling around the MCG on Saturday against the Lions.

"It's been an interesting one with Richmond considering their ladder position in the past few seasons and we know this weekend, even without Richardson, they'll be extremely tough," Brown said.

Lions vice-captain Jed Adcock says a uniform preparation can help the club attain more consistency on the field when the club plays away from home.

"It's more a mental thing to make sure we're prepared the same as we do at home," Adcock said.

"You just have to do exactly the same things you do at home. It's exactly the same except you sleep in a hotel and players have to learn their preparation and what works for them."

Injured Lion Bradd Dalziell is expected to be fit within six weeks instead of the 12 weeks time frame initially forecast.

Dalziell was assessed to have suffered only a minor tear of his posterior cruciate ligament.

Brisbane will be without Bradd Dalziell for up to 12 weeks after the midfielder injured the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

Eddie McGuire has added Mark Williams to the Collingwood coaching debate as speculation on Mick Malthouse's tenure as Magpies coach continues.

Lions defender Josh Drummond says winning the contested ball will be crucial when his side plays Geelong at Skilled Stadium on Sunday.

"It's a great test to go to Geelong and play probably the best team for the past couple of years," Drummond said.

"The contested footy is going to be crucial and we probably have to nullify their ball winners.

"But you can worry about them all you want and all their stars but it's going to come down to us."

Collingwood winger Jaxson Barham is awarded the Round Four Rising Star nomination after an impressive debut game against the Lions.

Jaxson tallied 17 kicks, 11 handballs, 9 tackles and 6 marks whilst playing opposed to key Lions midfielder Luke Power in wet conditions.

Lion Simon Black and Power Matt Thomas have been cited by the match review panel for reckless contact with umpires.

Bad news in Brisbane with Jamie Charman's ankle injury further depleting the Lions ruck stocks.

Charman is expected to be out for 4-6 weeks.

Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown has called on his teammates to take the game on rather than be dictated by the opposition.

"We’re a good side when we really take the game on, force it forward and go to contests in the forward line. That’s probably the message going forward," Brown said.

The Lions coach will seek clarity from the AFL about tactics used to quell Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw during Brisbane's loss to Collingwood.

"I'll seek that out with Jeff (Gieschen) during the week exactly what they can do for my own piece of mind and just to let Braddy and Browny know what can happen," he said.

"We'll pull the vision off and send it off and make contact with Jeff during the week."

Brisbane fullback Daniel Merrett received a timely compliment from Michael Voss.

"Rog is a powerful and agile unit and is actually one of the quickest players on our list," Voss said.

"I have no hesitation in plonking Daniel at the top of the goal-square whether he is playing on a tall or small opposition forward.

"He is versatile in that he can match the physical strength of Barry Hall one week and can also play on a medium-sized opponent playing out of the goal-square."

Brisbane have confirmed No. 1 ruckman Matthew Leuenberger will miss the next 12 weeks after scans revealed a split in the meniscus cartilage in his left knee.

The loss of a player like Brisbane's Matthew Leuenberger for up to three months would usually be shattering for a coach.

However, rookie coach Michael Voss is still finding plenty of positives as he counts down to a rare Friday night Gabba showdown with Collingwood.

Brisbane Lions ruckman Jamie Charman will return to the side to take on Collingwood at the Gabba on Friday night with the likely exclusion of Matthew Leuenberger due to a knee injury.

The 26-year-old premiership star has been struggling for match fitness but played four quarters for the Lions reserves in their 112-point drubbing of Aspley in the AFLQ on the weekend.

Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams says Warren Tredrea's six-goal haul against Melbourne on Sunday took fans, players and coaches alike back to the forward’s glory days.

Tredrea, 30, had not kicked a goal in the opening two rounds of 2009, but turned back the clock against the Dees at AAMI Stadium to finish with his best return in nearly four years.

Brisbane Lions ruckman Matthew Leuenberger faces the prospect of an extended period on the sidelines after injuring his knee at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Leuenberger, 20, limped to the bench in the third minute of the 33-point win over the Sydney Swans and, despite returning to the field to play out the match, will have scans on his left knee on Monday to determine the extent of the damage.

Adam Goodes is the latest name to be added to Lion Joel Patfull's list of big-name victims after his team's win over the Swans on Saturday night.

Livewire forward Rhan Hooper will miss the Brisbane Lions' clash with the Sydney Swans because of an ankle injury.

Video replays would have been useless for the controversial Jonathan Brown goal that hit the post, the AFL said yesterday.

Carlton players were adamant the ball ricocheted off the post on Saturday, despite being called a goal.

But the AFL's umpiring department refused to label it an error and a long AFL review yesterday failed to provide an answer.

A charge of rough conduct against captain Jonathan Brown compounded the Brisbane Lions' miserable night at Etihad Stadium.

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss is looking forward to having Simon Black bolster his line-up against Carlton on Saturday night.

The war of words between over Dean Brogan's suspension continued today, with Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams weighing in.

"My view is that two players walking - walking - and one bumps into the other one, yes he did it, he bumped him, but gee whizz, footy's getting a little precious," Williams said.

"It was pretty insignificant as far as I was concerned."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade wants to stay in charge at Whitten Oval long term.

Eade is one of seven coaches coming out of contract at the end of this season but says he has no plans to go anywhere else and doesn't want the issue to become a distraction.

"I would certainly love to stay, there is no doubt about that," Eade said.

He was wooed by Carlton at the end of last season but Brisbane captain Jonathan Brown now wants to bury the Blues on Saturday night.

Brisbane Lion Simon Black says he is ready to make his return after a frustrating pre-season.

Jed Adcock believes the game plan the Lions are taking into the 2009 season is more adaptable than in the past.

Daniel Rich is the NAB AFL Rising Star Nominee for Round One following his strong debut for Brisbane.

New Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss says his team still has plenty of work to do to learn the new game plan.

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss says his team has to be prepared for Carlton's tackling ferocity this weekend.

Daniel Rich described his debut performance for the Brisbane Lions as surreal after he helped engineer a huge first round comeback victory over the West Coast Eagles on Saturday night.

Rich was all class in gathering 21 disposals as the Lions snuck home by nine points at the Gabba.

Michael Voss engineered a second-half revival to launch his coaching career and snuff out a determined West Coast at the Gabba.

Midfielder Black, 30 next month, has had to overcome groin, ankle and back injuries, a broken wrist and a bout of gastroenteritis to push for round one selection.

Coach Michael Voss said Black would be given as much time as he needed to be right for the game.

Brisbane Lions vice-captain Daniel Merrett isn't concerned by his limited preparation, or that of Simon Black and Jamie Charman, ahead of round one.

Brisbane maestro Simon Black may not need to argue too hard to talk his way into playing the Lions' season-opener against West Coast.

Simon Black appears likely to miss the Lions season opener against West Coast after being struck down by gastroenteritis.