Brisbane look certain to hurl skipper Jonathan Brown into AFL round one action without a pre-season lead-up game.

Brown has not played at all in the pre-season because of a knee infection, and was a notable absentee again in the Lions' solid 29-point win over Melbourne at Princes Park at the weekend.

Coach Michael Voss looks set to cotton-wool the giant forward again for their final pre-season hitout - an intriguing clash with the Gold Coast Suns at Southport next weekend.

But Voss played down any suggestion Brown was in danger of missing the club's opening home-and-away match against Fremantle at the Gabba on March 26.

"A decision hasn't been made but he's probably more unlikely than likely to play (against Gold Coast)," Voss said.

"He's been doing a lot of training - he's training now. But we just want to make sure he's done all the training required.

"He's super-fit. If he gets two more weeks of solid training under his belt, he'll be fine for round one.

"He doesn't take too long to come to hand, the big fella."

If possible, Brown has become even more important to his club with Brendan Fevola's sacking leaving the Lions with just one recognised spearhead forward.

Brown can expect to team with ruck-forward Mitch Clark in attack for much of the year - Voss signalling that is the role he wants the 23-year-old to play in 2011.

"We'll persist with that for most of the year. He's (Clark's) gone into the ruck to alleviate at different times so we'll continue with that," Voss said.

And Voss may have unearthed a third forward in first-year player Ryan Lester to slot in alongside Voss, Clark and a queue of crumbing types.

Lester, 18, has impressed in the pre-season and was again name-checked by the coach among those who have put themselves at the forefront of his round one thinking.

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