THE WORDS Brisbane Lions fans have been waiting a month to hear were finally uttered by coach Leigh Matthews on Friday.

Matthews officially named triple-premiership midfielder Nigel Lappin in the Lions' starting team for their AFL clash against Fremantle at the Gabba on Sunday.

It ended a frustrating run for injury-plagued Lappin, 30, who has not played since suffering a corked thigh in Brisbane's season-opening victory over Hawthorn.

Lappin missed the entire 2006 season due to ankle surgery and had his 2007 pre-season hampered by an elbow complaint.

His selection was yet more good news for Matthews, who finally has the luxury of talking up his side's depth after enduring two injury-riddled seasons.

Matthews was the first to admit Brisbane was just as reliant on match-winning forward Jonathan Brown as ever.

But he was clearly chuffed that Brisbane's overall team effort had propelled the Lions from wooden spoon tips to "contenders".

Fremantle coach Chris Connolly was glowing in his praise of Brown this week, describing him as "arguably the best player in the AFL".

But Matthews believed the Lions were far from a one-man band after making the NAB Cup pre-season final and moving into sixth spot with a 3-2 record.

"We've played a consistent couple of months," he said.

"Every game we've been in. Even the games we've lost and I'm talking the whole of the 2007 campaign, we've been in those games.

"So that means ... everybody has to do their bit.

"We're always going to be better if Jonathan Brown plays at his optimum level and that goes for all your players.

"But I think that the players that don't tend to be the high-profile players have pretty much been putting in."

Despite their promising season start and an "emotionally uplifting" last round win over Carlton, Matthews still believed Brisbane was in the "bottom two-thirds" of the competition.

"I think at the moment it's fair to say that there's a bottom two-thirds and a top third - I don't think we've earned the top third ranking yet," he said.

"But if we play well enough then you never know, you might end up in the top third.

"We're in contention at this very early stage."

Marcus Allan has been cut for Lappin and been named as an emergency along with Josh Drummond and Chris Schmidt.