Brisbane have faced their poor first-round showing head on, Harris Andrews admitting their star midfield were shown up but keen to prove their mettle in a Gabba homecoming.
The Lions were humbled by Port Adelaide to begin their AFL season last Saturday, their bolstered midfield outplayed despite entering the campaign as one of the competition's most-hyped units.
The celebrated addition of Josh Dunkley and Will Ashcroft was nullified by Port recruit and 2021 No.1 pick Jason Horne-Francis.
"You look at our pre-season, our mids were fantastic getting hands on ball first and putting some defensive pressure on," co-captain Andrews said ahead of Friday's date with Melbourne.
"You have some ups and downs throughout the season and they've copped a bit of a whack, but I'm sure they're going to respond."
It gets no easier against the Demons, who the Lions upset in last year's preliminary final but have historically struggled against.
The addition of Brodie Grundy adds another dimension alongside fellow ruckman Max Gawn, who doubles as a key forward when not in the contest.
Former skipper Dayne Zorko could be fit to play after a hamstring injury ruled him out of the Power clash.
"He brings such energy to the club, brings that hunger to the contest that we probably missed on the weekend," Andrews said of the versatile midfielder.
"I wouldn't say we got ahead of ourselves (before facing Port Adelaide); we'd be kidding ourselves if we came in thinking that.
"We just got outworked by a good team to be honest, there's no real sugar-coating it."
Brisbane's first month is a challenging one, with the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood to follow Friday's stern test.
"It's a long year .... we've just got this real hunger from the boys to get back out there and make peace with it," Andrews said.
"Over the last couple of years we've had some bad losses like that, but ability to bounce back is a standout for us.
"As leaders we need to drive that and think we've started well."
A big crowd is expected for the Lions' first Gabba game since the opening round of finals last year, despite it clashing with a blockbuster NRL clash between Brisbane and newcomers Redcliffe at Suncorp Stadium.
