Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko put his tweaked hamstring to the test at the Gabba on Tuesday in a positive sign after he suffered the injury in the AFL defeat of the Western Bulldogs.
The Lions host the rock bottom Gold Coast on Saturday with a big win a crucial boost for a side equal top on premiership points but third on percentage.
Coach Chris Fagan said after Sunday’s game that Zorko would likely miss the QClash after a “minor tweak” but the midfielder ran strongly away from the main group on Tuesday to suggest he was a chance.
The Suns have suffered heavy losses to Richmond, Adelaide and Collingwood but pushed Essendon and Carlton in recent weeks.
Fresh off earning the latest AFL Rising Star nomination, Noah Answerth insisted there will be no complacency.
Overcoming a fractured back to earn his shot at the big time, Answerth has been one of many Lions to impress this year in what he says is a positive sign if the skipper is missing this weekend.
“Three years ago I never thought I’d be standing here in a press conference for a Rising Star nomination … I never thought I’d get this far,” the 20-year-old defender said.
“I’m not sure about (treating the Suns game as) a percentage booster; they’re a really good side, gave Essendon a real run and when I debuted against them it was just as hard as any other game.”
Having not played finals since 2009, Brisbane have enjoyed a tremendous rise since former Oakleigh Chargers captain Answerth arrived as the 55th pick in last year’s draft and could finish top of the ladder heading into the finals.
The Lions are on a seven-match winning streak and should increase that to eight when they face the Suns before they round off their regular season with contests against leaders Geelong at the Gabba next weekend and then Richmond at the MCG.
“We’ve talked about it (the side’s rise) a little bit from, where they’ve come from I’ve been lucky enough to jump on the back end of it,” Answerth said.
“It’s a really good place to be at the moment.
“But it’s good to have Richy (Daniel) and Zorko who’ve been through the hard times, to let you know about it and it keeps you grounded.”