Brisbane will weigh up what to do with swingman Eric Hipwood when the club takes on Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday, with co-captain Harris Andrews excited to line up alongside him.
Hipwood was thrown down back in the Lions' most recent QClash against the Suns as a means to fill the void left by Andrews, Jack Payne and Darragh Joyce, while depth options Tom Doedee and Darcy Gardiner remain out for the season following knee reconstructions.
The rangy left-footer was initially drafted as a tall backman but has worked in tandem with Joe Daniher and Charlie Cameron down the other end for the better part of his career.
Andrews believes that it is nice for the Lions to have something different up their sleeve, but says it will all be "dependent on matchups" as the club looks to regain Hipwood from a fortnight out with groin soreness.
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"I haven't sat in on the coaches' meetings, but he showed in that Gold Coast game when I wasn't playing, just how good a job he could do down back," Andrews said.
"He's pretty quick to remind us how good he was as an under-18 as a defender.
"It's exciting for him. He came in and did a really good job, and definitely I would love to play with him in the backline."
It comes at a time that Chris Fagan is getting some stability in his back seven, with the returns of Joyce, Andrews and Brandon Starcevich crucial to the club's flag chances.
However, the Lions skipper said that while the injuries to key figures were starting to mount up, it was a good opportunity to unearth some younger players, who have been key in reviving the once-dead season.
"That group of seven has had a bit more rotation and change than normal, and I feel like we've been able to unearth some really great young talent," Andrews said.
"Guys like Shadeau Brain have come in and played a really strong role for us. Darcy Wilmot just continues to get better week by week. Joycey has done an unbelievable job getting back from the broken jaw, playing some really high-level footy, and 'Frog' (Lester) has been a bit of a constant down there, which has been really enjoyable."
The Lions will be seeking revenge on the Pies after going down earlier in the year whilst also pushing their case for a top-four finish.
