Ahead of this Sunday’s clash against Geelong at the Gabba, Brisbane Lions midfielder Dayne Zorko has labelled the Cats as a benchmark for other clubs.

“You always want to challenge yourself against the best, and Geelong have obviously proven themselves as the best for the last five or six years,” Zorko said.

Geelong head to the Gabba on Sunday for their first away game of the season, with Zorko admitting the Cats will certainly be a challenge for the young Brisbane outfit.

“No one thinks we’re going to beat them, so that’s a bit of pressure off your shoulders,” the midfielder said.

Last year the Lions proved to be a test for Geelong with both games coming down to the wire. In Round 13, Cats fans were left heartbroken following an after-the-siren goal form Brisbane forward Ash McGrath to steal the victory.

It was almost déjà vu in the final round, with Brisbane midfielder Ryan Lester snapping for goal on the siren but the Cats rushing it behind to save the game.

“We’ll approach it exactly like we did against Hawthorn last week.

“Hopefully this week we can pull it off for four quarters instead of three,” Zorko said.

The Lions were competitive for three quarters against the Hawks last week, but faded away in the final term to lose by 48 points.

The Lions will be without vice-captain and star midfielder Tom Rockliff after he accepted a one-match sanction from the AFL Match Review Panel for engaging in rough conduct against the Hawks’ Sam Mitchell last week.