AN UPSIZED Brisbane Lions will attempt to return to the winners' circle on Saturday night, against what midfielder Travis Johnstone believes may be an underrated Essendon side.

Johnstone, who missed the round-14 loss to Melbourne with a hamstring problem, was one of three inclusions for the Lions, along with young ruck giant Matthew Leuenberger and fellow midfielder Cheynee Stiller.

James Polkinghorne and Justin Sherman have been omitted, while Joel Macdonald will miss with an ankle injury.

The Bombers enter the match with a 5-9 record but have won their last three, including an exciting round-13 win over traditional rival Carlton.

The Bombers are below us on the ladder but they've played some pretty handy games this year and they're obviously in good form, Johnstone said.

They've got a good mix of young players and experience and a new coach and it looks like they've been told to run and take the game on at every opportunity.

"They won't take a step backwards and I'd imagine it's going to be a pretty fast-moving game, especially with it being played at (Docklands)."

Esssendon has made two changes, bringing in Henry Slattery and Jay Neagle in place of Ricky Dyson and David Myers.

Brisbane Lions
B: Josh Drummond, Daniel Merrett, Joel Patfull
HB: Cheynee Stiller, Jared Brennan, Travis Johnstone
C: Anthony Corrie, Simon Black, Tim Notting
HF: Michael Rischitelli, Jonathan Brown, Ashley McGrath
F: Robert Copeland, Daniel Bradshaw, Mitch Clark
Foll: Jamie Charman, Luke Power, Jed Adcock
I/C: Tom Collier, Troy Selwood, Rhan Hooper, Matthew Leuenberger
EMG: Lachlan Henderson, Bradd Dalziell, Justin Sherman

Essendon
B: Adam Ramanauskas, Dustin Fletcher, Nathan Lovett-Murray
HB: Henry Slattery, Patrick Ryder, Jay Nash
C: Kyle Reimers, Jobe Watson, Leroy Jetta
HF: Sam Lonergan, Scott Lucas, Andrew Lovett
F: Matthew Lloyd, Jay Neagle, Adam McPhee
Foll: David Hille, Mark McVeigh, Brent Stanton
I/C: Damien Peverill, Angus Monfries, Jason Laycock, Andrew Welsh
EMG: Jarrod Atkinson, Ricky Dyson, Heath Hocking

On the punt:
Despite the Bombers' recent form, the Lions are likely to start firm favourites and are currently listed at $1.58 in head-to-head betting. The Lions' last five wins have come by between 13 and 46 points, so the $4 about a margin of 19 to 39 points might be enticing for those chasing some longer odds.

The Sydney Swans' loss to Collingwood in the second half of the split round means the Lions remain only six points away from fourth spot on the ladder. Given the Swans' tough run home, the $5.50 being offered for the Lions to make the four looks potentially good value.

Key match-up:
Joel Patfull (Lions) v Adam McPhee (Essendon): Macdonald might have been the natural on-paper choice to mark in-form linkman McPhee, but, in his absence, the job could well fall to Patfull. The consistent backman is a similar size and has the athletic ability to go with the Bombers' half-forward, who has averaged 20 possessions and taken 27 marks over the last three matches. Putting the clamps on McPhee and generating attack from their own half-back line is likely to be a key part of the Lions' game plan.

Odds and sods:
# Only bottom-of-the-ladder Melbourne has given up more points so far this season than Essendon's total of 1654. Over the course of 13 games, that amounts to almost 22 points-per-game more than the Lions and 44 points more than the competition's leading defensive side, the Sydney Swans.

# Lions co-captain Luke Power currently ranks top 10 in the league in handballs, disposals, tackles, goal assists and contested possessions. No other player in the league matches that spread at present, with Western Bulldogs ball magnet Daniel Cross the closest – but missing out in goal assists.

# Lion Robbie Copeland and Essendon's Damien Peverill are two of the real success stories from a 2001 rookie draft, from which only nine of the 62 players selected are still in the AFL. Copeland (pick No. 66) enters this week with 138 games to his credit, while Peverill (32) has played 137. The Lion has enjoyed significantly more team success, winning premierships in two of his first three years.