Lions` renovation rescue makes mark

After round 10 in 2006, Brisbane had just slumped to a 4-6 win-loss record. Premiership players Justin Leppitsch and Chris Scott were carrying long-term injuries and skipper Michael Voss was struggling manfully against a knee injury that would force his retirement at season`s end.

The campaign would reap seven wins and become Brisbane`s least successful season under Matthews. But there were debut games in that injury-hit season for 10 Lions, including four - Rhan Hooper, Jason Roe, Scott Harding and Joel Patfull - who will line up against the Kangaroos at the Gabba.

None were taken in the first two rounds of the draft, Roe and Patfull coming from interstate to Queensland via the rookie draft.

Like a $300,000 renovation on a suburban Queenslander, the Lions have come up a treat in 2008 from a project that has seen Matthews blood 28 players since the start of 2005. Nine have since left the club.

Statistics show no other club has handed debuts to more players during that period. Collingwood blooded 23, the next highest number, and St Kilda has had the fewest newcomers at nine.

Matthews had the opportunity to leave the Lions once the going stopped being especially good, but twice extended his contract, wanting to see the club`s regeneration through.

"I was part of what we term the premiership era and I never thought it was fair for a new coach to come in and finish the career of some of these champion players. Plus, it (coaching) is what I do," Matthews said.

"We are pretty optimistic about the future. That`s a nice place to be, whereas a couple of years ago it was hard to be very optimistic about the future.

"We had a lot of players out for a lot of weeks (in 2005 and 2006) and we`ve used a lot of them (out of) curiosity more than anything else."

From rookie-list players once ushered in to see what they could do, Joel MacDonald (50 games), Josh Drummond (36), Roe (33) and Harding (29) appear tonight. Emergency Cheynee Stiller (40) and sidelined Irishman Colm Begley (26) started their careers as rookies and Anthony Corrie (42) needed a second chance as a rookie last year.

"It`s helped us immeasurably that there have been players who have been overlooked by other clubs or been let go by other clubs and are doing well for us," Matthews said.

"It makes us confident in our development system and in our senior players, who set the standards which have enabled us to do pretty well out of these players."

The strides made by rookie-drafted Queenslanders like Hooper, Harding, Drummond and Stiller and third-round draft pick Daniel Merrett have changed entirely the way AFL clubs view the chances of Queensland hopefuls, Matthews believes.

"The rookies are the leftovers. They are only here because other clubs thought they weren`t in the top 80 of their year and our people didn`t think they were in the top 80 either," he said.

"The fact we`ve had success with some of the Queensland boys has made the other clubs more confident in recruiting Queenslanders. These days, I think they are rated the same as the other kids around Australia."

Matthews said the Lions made the point of treating rookies at training the same as listed players, and he sometimes needed to be reminded which player was listed and which wasn`t.

The improvement of the Lions players in the 25-60 game range has created competition for spots. From the five first-timers in 2007 - compared to 11 in 2005 and 10 in 2006 - only Matthew Leuenberger and Albert Proud have played AFL this year and both are missing.

Drummond, especially, has looked convincing in AFL from his first touch. "What Josh Drummond is is a very good, precision kicker of the football over 50m, where most struggle to be a precision kicker over 35m or 40m. He has really good penetration and makes good decisions when he runs off halfback. He`s doing really well."

It`s an imperative now for the Lions to maintain a draft avenue to Queensland teenagers to counteract the go-home factor. The club is pressing the AFL for the introduction of a recruiting zone - namely Brisbane - if the new Gold Coast 15 picks from Queensland each year early in its life.

"It`s always a concern. Footy goes through phases. How well you respond to opposition attention is part of how you determine players` long term prospects," Matthews said.