Brisbane defender Ryan Lester says there's a "mixture of excitement and a bit more nervous" feeling ahead of his battle against Geelong's Jeremy Cameron.
Lester will be tasked with quelling the game's most in-form forward, with Cameron's past five weeks yielding 24 goals, which surprisingly included a goalless outing a fortnight ago.
The former Giant's tally of 44 majors for the season is leading all-comers, but the Lions veteran can take confidence into Friday night's contest after a successful history against the Coleman Medal winner.
In Round 3, Lester kept Cameron to eight possessions and one goal as Brisbane prevailed against the Cats.
"It's a mixture of excitement and a bit more nervous playing these games ... he's probably the best forward in the league," Lester said on Tuesday.
"If I can do my little bit for the team, it'll help us, certainly.
"I probably don't play on the best forwards every week; they're generally bigger boys, but in different weeks, different people have key matchups, and this week it'll probably be one for me.
"He's got a lot of weapons. He's a very good player. I'll see what I can do."
It comes as the Lions will have to rejig their defensive lineup as the reliable Jack Payne has been ruled out of the 2025 season after scans revealed a ruptured patella tendon in the loss to GWS.
Payne helped provide flexibility in Harris Andrews and Lester's game, which the role will likely be filled by Darcy Gardiner.
"The best thing about 'Diz' is he's reliable and you know what you're going to get," Lester said.
"We love to have him down back. Along with Harris, the three of us have played a lot of footy together.
"I'm very confident that despite Payney being out, and all the weapons he brings, Diz is a very good player in his own right, and I'm looking forward to having him back there."
Tom Doedee is also inching closer to a club debut, given the Lions' need to bolster their backline.
The former Crow played in the VFL, recording 14 touches and six marks in the weekend's victory, but will likely need more time to build towards the top flight.
The Lions are looking to bounce back after back-to-back losses against fellow contenders GWS and Adelaide, with the assignment of Geelong in Geelong arguably the toughest in the league.
Brisbane will head to Melbourne on Wednesday to prepare for the Friday night contest.
