BRISBANE Lions coach Leigh Matthews acknowledges the absence of full-forward Daniel Bradshaw is a loss, but says a good spread of goalkickers in recent weeks shows the club is capable of generating a winning score without him.

Matthews, speaking ahead of his side’s clash with third placed Western Bulldogs at the MCG on Saturday, said an even contribution on the score sheet will be particularly crucial with Bradshaw (43 goals for the season) missing due to a hamstring injury.

"We've won our last four and I guess for a handfull of those both our big forwards were dominant," Matthews said.

"I think what has probably been pleasing is we seem to be able to kick our ten or twelve goals outside our big forwards . . . a couple times when [Jonathan] Brown and Bradshaw got a dozen, we still got nine or ten from the others, and last week that happened too".

Matthews said his powerful skipper would not be expected to play a lone hand up forward on the weekend in his 150th AFL game.

"Mitch Clark, and the ruckmen, and Jared Brennan – those kind of guys – will play down there to support Jonathan."

But it is the Bulldogs, and their multiple scoring options, that has taken up much of Matthews' preparation for the match, even if he says shutting down ex-Lion Jason Akermanis is not his major concern.

"You can worry about Aka, but then you've got Cooney and (Brad) Johnson and (Daniel) Giansiracusa, and all those other guys.

"They've got a lot of those six-foot goalkickers that makes them very flexible, very dangerous."

Matthews believes that, despite having won four games on the trot, the challenge of facing the Bulldogs at the MCG would give a true indication of where the Lions are placed.

"It's a great chance for us to come to the MCG and play a top-four team. That's a great challenge,” he said.

"There's a lot hanging on the end of tomorrow's game. We're in pretty good form --  preparation's been good -- so we're in good shape for the challenge."