DASHING Brisbane Lions defender Jason Roe has one promise ahead of Saturday night’s vital Gabba clash against the Western Bulldogs – tackles will stick.

Statistics from last week’s 69-point loss to Hawthorn had the Lions ahead 66-63 in the tackle count, but Roe says those figures masked a multitude of missed opportunities.

The ninth-placed Lions’ finals hopes could well rest on the result against the Bulldogs and pressure around the football is likely to be major factor.

“We pride ourselves on our tackling and pressure and on the weekend it just wasn’t good enough,” Roe told lions.com.au.

“When we did our weekly review, there was something like nine missed tackles that resulted in (Hawthorn) goals – that’s a massive amount.

“I missed a few myself and I’ll be making sure that doesn’t happen again on Saturday.

“We’ll all be kicking ourselves if we can’t improve this week.”

Aside from defensive duties, Roe will have plenty of additional responsibility against the Bulldogs due to kick-in expert Josh Drummond’s absence with a thigh injury.

Roe himself has been slowed by hamstring trouble in 2008 but says he is now fully fit and unflustered by the challenge of directing the Lions’ transition from defence into attack.

“I’m not bothered by it – when Drummo isn’t around I tend to take the kick-ins and that’s what is going to happen this week,” Roe said.

“I actually ended up kicking in during my first AFL game and I got through that okay, so I don’t think I’ll feel the pressure too much.

“If you sit and think about it, it can be a bit frightening. But it’s really just a matter of finding an open man, trusting your instincts and hitting a target.

“We’ve got places where we like to go with that first kick but as long as you’re hitting a target you are normally alright.”

Roe believes his own upbeat nature ahead of the Bulldogs showdown is representative of a vibe that is prevalent throughout the entire Lions squad.

Since moving to 8-5 with a round 13 home win over Adelaide, the Lions have won only one of six outings and have dropped outside the top-eight.

But, according to Roe, spirits are far from flagging.

“One of the best things about us at the moment is that the enthusiasm is still bubbling and there is a really good atmosphere about the club,” he said.

“You won’t see anyone with their head down – that’s the worst thing that could happen. We’re all feeling pretty confident and we honestly think we can get a win against the Bulldogs.

“The tide always turns eventually and if we keep working hard, it’s going to turn for us. Hopefully that will be on the weekend.”