Brisbane livewire Mitch Robinson has playfully dangled the carrot in front of former teammate Tom Rockliff ahead of Port Adelaide’s Gabba visit on Saturday.

The Lions’ midfielder pre-empted journalists’ questions on Tuesday, hinting that a tagging role might be in store after the former two-time Brisbane best and fairest’s strong start to the season.

Rockliff has registered 44 and 37 disposals against Melbourne and Carlton to begin the season and it hasn’t been lost on the club he notched 154 games for before exercising free agency two years ago.

“I’ll probably get asked a question about Rocky,” Robinson grinned.

“If he pops up then maybe I might tag him, maybe I might not so, that’ll be your headline right there.”

Robinson’s versatility and ruthless nature around the ball has been well utilised by coach Chris Fagan in the Lions’ 2-0 start to the season.

He was able to slow ball-magner Aaron Hall in Sunday’s comeback defeat of North Melbourne while also find his own ball in the midfield off half back.

The 29-year-old said concerning himself with those tasks, rather than emotional reunions with certain players, made finding a focus easy.

“I know it might build the game up a bit more, but literally you just forget about it and focus on the task at hand,” he said.

He said the team had confidence in their ability to score fast if they fell behind.

But he said that Fagan’s an evolving list of “nitty gritty” things to improve meant that slow starts were hopefully not here to stay.