IF DAYNE Zorko was picking Brisbane’s Round 1 team, he’d stick Josh Schache’s name on the whiteboard inside forward 50.

The 199cm tall forward is pushing hard for early-season selection at the Lions, such has been the impressive and speedy nature in which he has adapted to the AFL club environment.

Schache has swapped puppy fat for muscle mass since arriving at the Gabba and has excited on-lookers with his contested work at training.

The No. 2 draft pick, who booted a record 24 goals for Vic Country in the 2015 Under 18s national championships, has been likened to Collingwood power forward Travis Cloke yet with a more accurate left-foot kick for goal.

Schache undoubtedly looms as the long-term solution to fill the Lions’ key forward chasm, but an impressive pre-season campaign could see him blooded during the early stages of the 2016 season.

While Zorko urged Lions fans and footy pundits to be patient, the vice-captain predicted Schache wouldn’t look out of place should he be picked to represent the Lions in their first clash of the season against the West Coast Eagles.

“I’d have him in the side,” Zorko told foxsports.com.au.

“He’s a very impressive young man. I’d love to see him out there.

“Hopefully he’s going to be a superstar for the club for many years.”

Schache, son of the late former Brisbane Bears player Laurence Schache, made the move north in the immediate aftermath of being drafted. He has been living with teammate Daniel Merrett and his family since arriving in Brisbane.

Zorko said it was crucial that older Brisbane players embrace youngsters who have moved from interstate — like Schache — to ensure they have substantial careers in Queensland.

“It’s an extremely daunting task leaving your family and friends behind when you’re 18-years-old and heading up to Brisbane to start your new life, especially the guys from Adelaide and Perth,” Zorko said.

“It’s important that not just me but the whole club, all the leaders embrace them. A lot of players have been through it, so it’s important they use their experience onto the younger kids who may potentially be experiencing homesickness and try to create an environment that’s really happy and makes you want to stay to be eight, 10 or 12-year players.”

Schache is one of a handful of draftees who have brought a breath of fresh air to the Lions since arriving via the national draft.

First-round academy selections Ben Keays and Eric Hipwood, as well as draft slider Rhys Mathieson, have impressed in their short stints at the club so far. Fellow draftee Sam Skinner is also recovering well from the knee reconstruction he underwent in 2015.

“The way they’re brought through the system these days, they already come with that want to learn and professionalism that it takes to be an AFL footballer,” Zorko said.

“They’re feeding off a lot of the older guys, their experiences and wanting to learn from them, which is something that’s really important, especially for us being a really young group.”

Mathieson was labelled a potential top-10 pick at different stages during last year, as he was regarded as one of the best contested-ball players of the draft class. However he was overlooked in the first round of the national draft and eventually snapped up by the Lions with pick No. 39.

But the lower-than-expected selection hasn’t deterred Mathieson, whose training intensity and strong body has stood out during the summer.

“I don’t know how he slipped through, but we’re more than happy to take him,” Zorko said.

“He’s been a real energy boost, not saying that we didn’t have any energy before, but he creates a very good vibe around the club. He’s another kid that’s continuously trying to learn and his attack on the ball is just fantastic.”

Zorko also praised emerging backman Harris Andrews for his outstanding pre-season campaign.

Andrews, the Lions’ leading intercept mark player last year, showed rapid development in his first season at the Lions, culminating in a Rising Star nomination in Round 18. Over the final six rounds of the 2015 season, Andrews was ranked the sixth-best defender in the competition.

And Zorko doesn’t see Andrews suffering from the dreaded second-year blues in 2016.

“He’s been a standout on the track so far. He’s a really good young kid, he’s learning every day off Daniel Merrett, who’s been a fantastic mentor for him,” Zorko said.

“He’s progressing really nicely and hopefully he can be a 10-year player at the club and really drive the club forward.”