The Brisbane Lions are already sick of honourable losses, and believe the gutsy fightback against Port Adelaide last weekend is the perfect lead-in to upset premier Richmond on Saturday.

The Lions clawed back from a 23-point three-quarter time deficit to get within a kick of the Power in front of a partisan Adelaide Oval crowd on Saturday, but the loss left them 0-3 for the season.

They were within a goal of St Kilda during the fourth quarter in round one, drew level with Melbourne in the final term the following week, and took unbeaten Port to the death before coming away empty-handed.

Ahead of a trip to the MCG on Saturday afternoon to take on the reigning champs, defender Darcy Gardiner said near enough wasn't good enough.

"It's good to see there's improvement in the group the past few weeks, but we don't go out there to lose," Gardiner said.

"It's a bit disappointing.

"We just need to take more of those opportunities and moments in games, where the more mature sides do. We're still learning.

"There's a few moments where we could be more composed."

The improvement from last season's wooden spooners is plain to see, winning the clearances and contested possessions against Port and looking dangerous when they went inside 50.

Gardiner said playing so well on the road without their ill skipper Dayne Beams had flushed the Lions with confidence.

"You go to Adelaide Oval and it's always hostile there, you know what you're going to get, and I think we handled it well, which we're proud of.

"It's a good lead-in to the Tiges, they play a similar brand of footy, so hopefully we can take things out of what we did last week and take it up to the Tiges."

Beams took part in Tuesday's modified session and looks a good chance of playing his 150th game at the home of football.

Gardiner has had a terrific start to the season and was again influential against Port, defending everyone from Justin Westhoff to Jack Watts to Chad Wingard.

He said the prospect of taking Brownlow medalist Dustin Martin when he moved forward this weekend did not daunt him.

"We try to work as a unit, a back six, we're all in it together," he said.

"We're not playing one-on-one footy now, so we're trying to work together and help each other out as much as we can."