Game No.150 may be looming for Jonathan Brown.

But the Brisbane Lions co-captain knows only too well that Saturday's AFL clash with the Western Bulldogs will be all about one man - Jason Akermanis.

The Lions will be looking for their talisman to celebrate his milestone with a bagful after forward Daniel Bradshaw (hamstring) was ruled out of the MCG clash on Thursday.

However, Brown doesn't have to be told another player will be hogging the headlines for the much-anticipated showdown.

It remains to be seen whether time will ever heal the wounds from Akermanis' acrimonious split with the Lions in 2006.

But this time it won't be just the bad blood between them that will be the talking point.

The man known as the human headline has let his football do the talking in 2008.

In contrast to his underwhelming 2007 debut season for the Bulldogs, Akermanis has been the key to his third-placed side's surge up the AFL ladder.

His class was never more evident just last weekend when he bagged six goals in the Dogs' 27-point win over St Kilda.

"Aker has been brilliant. It's going to be important that we shut him down," Brown said.

"He's probably one of the greatest defensive players to ever play the game, he's been no different this year."

Asked if there would be extra feeling in the match due to Aker, Brown said: "Aker's been gone for 18 months now, there is no real feeling to be honest.

"The feeling for us is that it is a great challenge.

"They are one of the best in the competition, and see where we are at after a positive month."

The Lions have won four straight to move to seventh at the halfway mark of the season.

But Brown believed the true test began now.

"In the next two weeks we take on sides (Dogs, Adelaide) that are above us and I think we are ready for that challenge," he said.

"How we go against those sides will tell us whether we are capable of beating the top four sides or also rans.

"(But) the Bulldogs are probably going better than anyone in the competition at the moment."

The Lions forward-line looks more one-dimensional with the loss of Bradshaw.

But their defence received a shot in the arm with the return of Josh Drummond, Ash McGrath and Jason Roe from hamstring complaints.

Cheynee Stiller has also been added to the Lions 25-strong squad.

James Hawksley and Robert Copeland have been overlooked while Scott Harding has succumbed to a knee injury sustained in last weekend's win over Fremantle.

Brown did not hide his joy over Drummond's return.

"He's very important. If you look at our win-loss ratio there would be a fair difference when Drummo is playing and not playing," he said.

"He wouldn't have got a lot of kudos down south but he is valued within our side and important to us playing our best football."

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