DESPITE carrying the longest pre-season injury list since his first season in charge, premiership coach Chris Fagan says he's not concerned about Brisbane's player availability and won't be rushing anyone back for Opening Round.
Already with four players recovering from ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments, the Lions had a host of off-season surgeries and niggles following their Grand Final triumph to slow their start to 2025.
Oscar McInerney, Henry Smith, Shadeau Brain and father-son draftee Levi Ashcroft are all on the comeback from shoulder operations, while Eric Hipwood had surgery to the groin problem that restricted him through the club's finals campaign.
Throw in Hugh McCluggage (ankle) and Brandon Starcevich (quad) with niggles and you could forgive Fagan for stressing with just three weeks until he begins a premiership defence against Geelong at the Gabba.
In a lengthy chat with AFL.com.au, Fagan said there would be no rush just to get ready for the first game.
"It is a long year. We all want to be up and about for round one, but we want to be up and about at the end of September if you can be too," he said.
"To some degree you have to pace yourself and not force the issue. If you've got a few boys not ready to go for round one, then so be it."
In all likelihood, the Lions will have all of their Grand Final heroes – apart from retired spearhead Joe Daniher – available for the season start.
McInerney and Starcevich are a chance to play in Thursday's intraclub, while McCluggage, Ashcroft, Brain and McCarthy could be available to play the match simulation round robin against Gold Coast and Collingwood on February 20.
Fagan says Hipwood will play the AAMI Community Series match against Adelaide on February 27 if there's no hiccups between now and then.
His importance will be heightened among a tall forward brigade that includes second-year player Logan Morris and any one of Smith, Gold Coast recruit Sam Day or ruckman Darcy Fort that could initially fill the Daniher void.
"Before he got hurt last year, he (Hipwood) had a four or five-week patch where we saw the best football he's ever played. I'm hopeful we get more of that once he gets up and going again," Fagan said.
The one setback for the Lions has been the recovery of Keidean Coleman, who is still six to eight weeks from returning.
Coleman ruptured his ACL in the first half of last season's Opening Round and has just begun running again after some swelling around the knee slowed his progress.
"It's funny, they're so different with the knees," Fagan said.
"Will (Ashcroft) was able to get his right in about 10 months and Linc McCarthy looks like he's going to play next week, Darcy Gardiner will be about round one.
"Tommy Doedee maybe round six or seven.
"Keidean, who did his before all of them, may well be round five or six. Sometimes these knees just swell up on you and it's just the body telling you it's not ready yet.
"People have different healing rates, and it seems Keidean is a little slower than some, but we'll give him all the time he needs and he'll be a bonus when he's available again.
"We won't pressure him into coming back sooner than he feels comfortable."
The silver lining among the rehab group that gives Fagan confidence is that many of the players are experienced and have a huge body of training behind them over many years.
"The good thing is they've been running a lot, they're running fit, they're just not necessarily fully fit because they haven't been able to do a lot of contact work," he said.
"I think even though a few of them will go into the start of the year with limited game time, they'll still be ok on the back of all the work they've done previously."
