St Kilda is promising big changes to its attitude and strategy for Friday night AFL finals opener against Brisbane at the Gabba.

The problem for the Saints is their opposition has to change very little.

Lions vice-captain Chris Scott was accentuating this key difference between the two rivals as they prepared for Friday's qualifying final.

Brisbane is the three-time defending premier and eight days ago mauled the Saints by 45 points at "The Gabbatoir".

This will be St Kilda's first finals series since 1998.

"The difference between the two sides is that we know exactly what to expect and they think they know," Scott said.

In what could be seen as an intimidatory statement, Scott said the 2004 Lions were a better outfit than those which won the last three premierships.

But he qualified it by saying the nature of professionalism ensured the standard of football, due to physical and tactical improvements, rose each year.

"My personal opinion is that our 2002 side was better than our 2001 team and last year was better again," he said.

"Because ... unless you don't keep improving you get left behind."

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