The struggling, injury-hit Brisbane Lions have suffered another blow with sidelined ruckman Jamie Charman ruled out for the season.

Charman has not played a senior AFL match in 2010 after injuring his ankle in the pre-season but won't return until next year after undergoing surgery last Thursday suffering a setback in his recovery.

The Lions initially expected the problem would keep him out for two months.

Despite Charman's poor recent injury history, coach Michael Voss remains keen to see the local product fight his way back next year but knows it will be a challenge.

"It's disappointing for Charmo because he'd done a full pre-season and he hurt himself and that perpetuated into another issue and since he had to have the operation to finish his season and get himself ready for another pre-season that's enormously challenging for him," Voss said on Monday.

"He looked like he was genuinely going to fight for his position (in 2010) and it was going to be hard to wrestle it off him."

Brisbane had been well covered for ruckmen with Matthew Leuenberger and Mitch Clark but Clark is now set to line up as a key tall forward with skipper Jonathan Brown ruled out for a month due to a nagging abdominal tear.

"We anticipate he'll make a recovery in four weeks," Voss said.

After winning their first four matches this season, Brisbane have since lost seven of their last eight matches and were smashed by the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.

The Lions face a resurgent Richmond on Saturday night at the Gabba.

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