RECRUIT Callum Ah Chee is ready to answer Brisbane's need for speed at half-back after a faultless pre-season campaign.
Arriving on a long-term deal from Gold Coast in October, Ah Chee was identified as the missing piece in a Lions backline that lost Luke Hodge to retirement.
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Despite a quad setback and a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery last year, the 22-year-old is yet to miss a session this summer.
"He's a really keen guy learning about how we're going to play and he seems to know our gameplan pretty well," coach Chris Fagan told AFL.com.au.
"From what we're seeing from our match play so far he's fitting in very well and his fitness and his strength has improved.
"We thought he could play in a variety of positions but probably more as a wing/half-back flanker.
"He's got two great attributes to play those positions, he's quick and he's a beautiful kick that comes with his decision-making.
"We think if he can start to feel at home playing AFL footy those skills and talents can come out."
Ah Chee impressed against his former side in a scratch match last weekend and looks set to be unleashed in more Marsh Community Series matches against Port Adelaide (February 23) and Carlton (March 8).
PRE-SEASON FIXTURE Check out your team's Marsh Community Series games
"We're taking (the) Marsh (Series) pretty seriously because we've only got two hitouts before the start of the season," Fagan said.
"We're probably going to play 22-24 in those games so that makes it harder to play some of our young guys. By and large we'll be playing what we think our best team is in both games."
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Ah Chee is set to be joined in the back half by four-time premiership Hawk Grant Birchall who played a half against the Suns.
"We'll manage his time so he plays more each week as we get closer and he has a gradual build-up," Fagan said.
"His body just continues to adapt to more load. It's almost like building up a first-year player again to play footy because he's missed out on all that conditioning that you get with playing.
"Our medical team and fitness staff have done a great job, as has he. It's taken a while for him to build confidence in his body and that's coming."
Third-year Lion Brandon Starcevich is another contender for the vacant role in a defensive unit alongside Harris Andrews, Marcus Adams, Darcy Gardiner, Alex Witherden, Daniel Rich and Noah Answerth.
The Lions' first pick at last year's NAB AFL Draft Deven Robertson is expected to miss at least the first Marsh Series match after a quad setback in recent weeks that has put him behind back in the pecking order for round one.
