DEPENDABLE defender Robbie Copeland says better ball use can help a new-look Brisbane Lions outfit return to winning form against Richmond on Saturday night at Telstra Dome.

The Lions have made five changes to the side which went down by 33 points to Collingwood last week and the inclusions cover the full spectrum of experience.

Co-captain Chris Johnson will line up for game number 265, while 2006 draftee Chris Schmidt will make his debut. Goal-sneak Rhan Hooper has been called up for his first game of the season, while Jared Brennan and Colm Begley return after a week in the reserves.

Omitted from the side which lost to the Pies last week were Wayde Mills, Ben Fixter, Jason Roe and Beau McDonald, while Ash McGrath is sidelined by a knee injury.

"We haven't been using the footy well enough but I'm sure we can turn that around this week," Copeland said.

"Looking at Richmond, they haven't won a game yet but they've been playing pretty well - sometimes that's the way football goes. You'd say they'd have to get a win eventually, but we want to make sure it's not Saturday.

"We've had some good wins so far and we've been competitive in most of our losses. If we'd used the footy a bit better we might have got a couple more wins."

Richmond has beefed up its big forward stocks and bolstered its midfield by including promising key position player Jay Schulz and running options Dean Polo and Matt White.

TEAMS

BRISBANE LIONS
B: Chris Johnson, Daniel Merrett, Jared Brennan
HB: Jed Adcock, Josh Drummond, Robert Copeland
C: Troy Selwood, Nigel Lappin, Cheynee Stiller
HF: Justin Sherman, Jonathan Brown, Tim Notting
F: Michael Rischitelli, Joel Patfull, Mitch Clark
FOLL: Jamie Charman, Simon Black, Luke Power
I/C (from): Richard Hadley, Rhan Hooper, Chris Schmidt, Colm Begley
EMG: Scott Harding, Joel Macdonald, Cameron Wood
In: Johnson, Hooper, Brennan, Begley, Schmidt
Out: Ashley McGrath (knee), Wayde Mills, Ben Fixter, Jason Roe, Beau McDonald
New: Chris Schmidt (West Adelaide)

RICHMOND
B: Chris Newman, Will Thursfield, Joel Bowden
HB: Andrew Raines, Graham Polak, Jake King
C: Brett Deledio, Shane Tuck, Cam Howat
HF: Dean Polo, Matthew Richardson, Richard Tambling
F: Kayne Pettifer, Jay Schulz, Daniel Jackson
FOLL: Adam Pattison, Kane Johnson, Nathan Foley
I/C: Kent Kingsley, Shane Edwards, Matthew White, Greg Tivendale
EMG: Jack Riewoldt, Andrew Krakouer, Chris Hyde
In: Schulz, White, Polo
Out: Krakouer, Riewoldt, Danny Meyer

On the punt

Has a team with an 0-9 record ever started favourite in an AFL game? Lions fans will, no doubt, be keen to take the $2 being offered on UNiTAB about their side, with the winless Tigers more fancied in the betting at $1.75. Richmond has only passed 90 points twice this season and the Lions haven't done it for three weeks, so the $6 for 150 or less combined points might also prove attractive. By contrast, those figuring each side is due for a breakout can get $5.25 about a combined score of 221 points or more.

After racking up 37 possessions in his 200th game last week, Simon Black was on the move again in Brownlow voting, tightening to $8.50. On the other hand, Jonathan Brown, who is only a straight-kicking performance away from a big haul, represents good value at $31. Matthew Richardson is the shortest-priced Tiger at $61. Punters can also get handy odds about Brown in the Coleman Medal race, where he has drifted to $11.

Key matchup

Daniel Merrett (Lions) v Matthew Richardson (Richmond) - No key opposing key forward played as well against the Lions as Richardson last year, with the Tigers veteran polling six Brownlow votes in two outings and kicking 10 goals. In 2005 Richardson was among Richmond's best in a win at the Gabba, kicking three goals, and less than a week ago he had the better of ex-Lion Mal Michael, booting 4.2 while playing with a fractured cheekbone. Marking Richardson will be another huge challenge for Merrett, but it's difficult to argue that he isn't up to the challenge. At 196cm and 104kg, the 22-year-old is virtually the same size as Richo and last weekend, at the Gabba, stymied the influence of big Magpie Anthony Rocca. Truly a battle of the titans.

Odds & sods

*** Richardson was one of only three players to tally the perfect six Brownlow votes in two games against the Lions last year. The others were Geelong's Paul Chapman and Sydney star and eventual Brownlow winner Adam Goodes.

*** The Lions have not beaten Richmond since round 14, 2004. The only longer "winless" streaks - in terms of calendar time - are against the grand finalists of the last two years, Sydney (round one, 2004) and West Coast (round 20, 2002). The Lions' last win against Richmond was the end of a five-match run of victories versus the Tigers.

*** Last time the two sides met, in Round 19 of last year, the Lions fielded 14 players with 50 games or less under their belts. On Saturday night, that figure will be 13 - but only because young Lions midfielder Justin Sherman will be making his 50th appearance! The Tigers will field 12 players with a similar lack of experience.

*** Mitch Clark's Rising Star nod this week made it three years in a row with multiple nominations from the Lions. The Lions had four nominees in 2005, three last year and now two so far in 2007 (Clark and ruckman Cameron Wood). As a reflection of the increased opportunity for young players at the Gabba, only four Lions in total were nominated over 2002, 2003 and 2004. 

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.