Lions kingpin Jonathan Brown is humbled by the comparisons, but doesn't believe he holds a candle to his childhood idol Wayne Carey.

Brown, enjoying his best-ever start to an AFL season with 17 goals in Brisbane's three wins, also expects teammate Brendan Fevola to tip him out for another Coleman Medal.

The Brisbane centre half-forward's brilliant early-season form, along with that of Nick Riewoldt up until his hamstring injury, has seen the pair inevitably compared to North Melbourne great Carey.

Carey himself this week rated Brown, who plays 9kg heavier than the former Kangaroo at 105kg, the best and most influential spearhead in the game.

But the Brisbane captain on Wednesday felt the two-time premiership-winning skipper Carey remained the best he had seen.

"Comparisons are for when you finish your playing career I believe," he said.

"That's obviously a compliment but Carey was certainly an idol of mine and I don't think I'd come close to him, that's my opinion.

"But you are just trying to get the best out of yourself week in week out."

Even with Fevola perched in Brisbane's goal square in 2010, Brown dragged the Lions over the line for opening wins against West Coast and Carlton.

He again topped the goal-scorer's list with five against Port Adelaide on Saturday and admitted he was in the midst of the best early-season form of his career.

Brown credited a heavier pre-season load and the arrival of fellow forwards Fevola and Brent Staker as major factors.

"It's just indicative of a good pre-season and coming in with a healthy body," he said.

"In '06 I had a really bad injury, I was probably at the crossroads with a bad fracture in my back and since then I've been in a modified program.

"This year they let the shackles off me a bit.

"A big part of it is having Fev and Brent Staker there as well.

"Having two other big forwards have taken a lot of attention of opposition defenders and I think the team is playing better as a whole so we're getting a few more opportunities."

Fevola has had as many scoring shots as Brown in the start to his Lions career, bagging 9.11.

But Brown, who received a couple of goal assists from the ex-Carlton spearhead against Port, still expects Fevola to finish with more majors to retain the Coleman Medal.

"Being the full-forward, Fevvy, you would expect him to kick more goals at the end of the season and that's what I expect," Brown said.

"It's working quite well. I think people forget Fev's actually had a lot more shots and between the two of us we're having plenty of shots and we've got a good relationship there.

"He's been very easy to play with and he's a great forward and he draws a lot of defenders and I'd say a big bag is just around the corner."

Like coach Michael Voss, Brown said it was time for the Lions to prove they are genuine premiership contenders by beating the Western Bulldogs, their 2009 semi-final nemeses, at the Gabba on Saturday night.

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