Good News.

[Master Q]

Source: AFL website.

THE players are like "brothers" already and Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss has declared his new-look side is ready to rip for the round-one clash against the West Coast Eagles at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Amon Buchanan (Sydney Swans), Brendan Fevola (Carlton), Andrew Raines (Richmond), Brent Staker (West Coast) and former-Saint Matt Maguire (playing his 100th AFL match) have all been named for their first games in Lions colours.

And the coach has also been impressed - in more ways than one - with teenage speedster Todd Banfield, who will make his AFL debut after being recruited from Swan Districts in 2008.

Voss said the new additions have all been picked on form, not reputation.

“They’ve earned their spots,” Voss said.

“Each of them have been in pretty good form over the pre season at different stages so they should all come in pretty confident that they’ve gelled in nicely.”

Voss said Banfield would not have been in the club’s top 29 players before March, but has come along so fast that he demanded selection, adding a vibrant mix to the Lions forward line.

“He certainly adds some blistering speed and at the same time he’s finding the footy, so he has become quite dangerous down there," Voss said.

"It’s good to be able to have a player who comes in and sort of says: 'Pick me, I want to be picked, put me in the team,' and he has done that. He has earned his spot.”

Banfield is good mates with NAB Rising Star winner Daniel Rich from their days playing junior football in Perth and while Rich has been singing the 19-year-old's praises for some time, it seems the coach was attracted to Banfield’s red hair.

“His elevation has been fantastic [and] just to be able to have another ranga join the team is pleasing,” Voss joked. “We don’t play favourites here but it’s hard not to [like the red hair].”

Voss lamented the hard-luck stories of in-form players who have missed selection, including James Polkinghorne, James Hawksley, Matt Austin, Tom Rockliff and Cheynee Stiller.

“Hopefully that (missing selection) motivates them rather than de-motivates them. I know it will for those particular guys,” Voss said.

The Lions defeated the Eagles by nine points at the Gabba in round one last season, but Voss is aware this is a new season and West Coast stars Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr and Andrew Embley will be fresh and dangerous.

“They’ve got a good bunch of kids that are coming through and they’re led magnificently by some of their really super senior players,” Voss said.

“Their senior players aren’t just normal senior players, they’re superstars, so whenever you’re playing teams like that they have a certain element of danger about them.”

Voss said his players have spent four months virtually living together and are like brothers, insisting they won’t have any nerves come the start of the season.

“You only get nervous when you’re not ready and we’re ready, we’re ready to go,” Voss said.

Source: AFL website.

[nas]

here go the last minute trade out Rocky out & _____ in. :P