CHAMPION midfielder Simon Black says the Brisbane Lions are expecting a tight contest in Sunday's match against Port Adelaide, despite the Power enduring a miserable season.
For one of the rare times in 2011, the 15th-placed Lions (2-11) will enter a match as favourites, facing an equally desperate Power outfit that trails them on the ladder by percentage only.
Black said he was looking forward to playing a rare day match at the Gabba, but expected no favours from a club that was a bitter rival in the first half of the last decade.
"Every time we go out we think we can win," Black said.
"It'll be a tough, tight contest and if we play well we can win. We both haven't had a great year and four points is very hard to pick up in this competition, so they're very much sought after on the weekend.
"When you're playing a side that's around you on the ladder it gives you an opportunity to get away from them a little bit for a week, but we're under no illusions, they're going to be very hungry and we're going to be very hungry too to get the win."
Black said he harboured no ill feeling towards the Power despite the clubs going toe-to-toe on numerous occasions during his career.
The Power were minor premiers 2002 and 2003 - two of the Lions' three premiership seasons - before stumbling in the finals, but had revenge in 2004 by halting the Lions' tilt at four straight flags with a Grand Final triumph.
One man Black faced back then and is every chance of confronting on Sunday is Kane Cornes.
Despite now being 32, Black is still the Lions' midfield general and is in the midst of a stellar season.
He is sixth in the league in disposals (350) and eighth in contested possessions (168) and still gets the opposition's best tagger and will likely be followed by Cornes at some stage.
Black said having to deal with the weekly scrutiny of taggers did not bother him.
"I know what I need to do each week to perform well but some weeks it works and some weeks it doesn't," he said.
"It's always a challenge and hasn't really changed. I still love my footy as much as I always have. You enjoy it more when you win a bit more so it has been a challenging year, but at the same time I'm enjoying playing with the younger guys and hopefully we're setting a path for future success sooner rather than later."
The Lions completed their main training session at the Gabba on Thursday, with Daniel Rich on the sidelines on crutches.
He could miss anything from two to six matches with a stress reaction in his foot.
AFLPA president Luke Power made a hurried dash to training after catching an early morning flight back from Melbourne.
Power landed in Brisbane and went directly to the Gabba following his role in Wednesday night's players meeting on the upcoming collective bargaining agreement.
Michael Whiting covers Brisbane Lions news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @mike_whiting
