For the first time, Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss reckons he is feeling comfortable in his new role - and it scares him.

Voss has just soaked up the mid-season break, and he likes what he sees.

His team is on track for a top four finish with a 7-5 record heading into this weekend's home AFL clash against lowly Melbourne.

Even news that ruckman Jamie Charman (ankle) will miss the rest of the season has been tempered by the looming return of defenders Daniel Merrett, Joel Patfull and possibly Josh Drummond from injury against the Demons.

But Voss appears to be a "glass is half empty" kind of guy.

"I'm feeling comfortable - which is scary," he said at Brisbane on Monday.

"The word comfortable puts chills down my spine, sometimes that can create complacency.

"You should never be happy with what you have achieved. It just creates complacency - you should always want more."

The Lions don't have to be reminded that they can't afford to be complacent against the Demons.

A shock one point loss to Melbourne punctuated a horror 2008 run of seven losses in their last 10 games that ensured the Lions missed the finals entirely - for the fourth straight season.

And Voss watched in horror in one of his first games with the coaching reins as his highly-fancied Lions got thumped by Melbourne in a pre-season trial at Cairns.

"This is a really big game for us," Voss said.

"In Cairns they came to compete and we didn't. They had a better attitude than us and we got beaten.

"There is a level that we have set for ourselves. We can't afford to compromise on that - we have to progress, not go backwards.

"We've had time to reflect on what we have done, most people have been speaking about how we went in Tasmania (beating defending premiers Hawthorn in Launceston last round).

"But I have come back with a clear purpose on what I still have to achieve."

Voss did concede that he was "a bit dirty" that Charman had not recovered from an ankle complaint suffered in round four and was forced to undergo surgery on Monday.

"Unfortunately we've had to put Jamie out to pasture, and then hopefully bring him back in the pre-season bigger and better, which will be good for him," he said.

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