It might only be the NAB Cup, but Brisbane Lions Vice-Captain Tom Rockliff believes this Saturday night’s match against Collingwood is still an important occasion for the Club.

Rockliff told Fox Footy’s AFL 360 program that the team was determined to put in a good performance against a quality opposition in front of their loyal Victorian fans.

“We want to go down to Victoria and play our best footy in front of our local fans down there,” Rockliff said.

“And any chance you get to play against Collingwood is always a big game for our footy club.”

“We’ve set ourselves for Round One, but it will be a good chance for our Victorian fans to see how we’ve prepared for the season and the way we want to play footy in 2013.”

“We haven’t had a lot of wins over the last couple of years, so creating that winning culture is pretty important for us at the moment.”

Rockliff is part of an emerging midfield group at the Lions, which was further bolstered during the off-season following the recruitment of Brent Moloney.

“Beamer (Moloney) has been fantastic for the footy club,” Rockliff said.

“He adds another dimension to the midfield. He’s obviously an elite clearance player, which will help free up guys like Richy and Blacky.”
 
“I think opposition teams are going to start to take notice of our midfield group now.”

Although the Lions’ engine room will be without stars Simon Black and Jack Redden this weekend, it gives the likes of Claye Beams, Patrick Karnezis and Josh Green a greater opportunity to step up in their absence.

“You need (depth) these days, particularly with all the rotations,” Rockliff said.

“You need to have 10-11 guys to play through the midfield, and that’s what the best teams have been doing in the past.”