Round One of the season proper is just around the corner and I think I speak on behalf of all the boys when I say that we can’t wait for it to finally get here.

It seems like forever since we got pipped by a point down at Geelong at the end of last season.

Plenty has happened around the Club between then and now – with the change of Senior Coach no doubt the biggest news at the Gabba over the off-season.

As one of the older blokes, I’m one of the few guys still at the Lions who actually had the privilege of being here when Leppa was a player, however a back injury forced him to retire midway through my debut season.   

It meant that I never actually got the chance to line up alongside him in a senior match, but obviously spent plenty of time with him throughout the year, and in the following couple of seasons after he stayed on as an Assistant Coach.

He actually helped me transition from being a forward – where I played most of my first couple of seasons – to learning the art of defence.

I guess there are few better people to learn from than one of the best centre-half backs of the modern game.

In the four years he spent at Richmond, you can really tell that he’s refined his game knowledge and coaching techniques, and has a clear direction of where he wants to take this team.

Probably the only thing that hasn’t improved in his time away from Brisbane has been his jokes. They’re still pretty average – although he seems to think they’re funny.

With some changes to the forward structure and how the midfield sets up, I’m pleased to report that the backline remains relatively settled.

It’s great to have big ‘Rog’ Merrett down back full-time after he was thrown forward on occasions last year.

Even without ‘Buddy’ Franklin, we’re going to have our work cut out for us against Hawthorn on Saturday.

You would think losing arguably one of the most dangerous forwards in the competition would leave some sort of hole in the Hawks’, but they don’t seem to have been affected at all from what I’ve seen in the pre-season.

I guess it helps when you still have talls like Jarryd Roughead, Jack Gunston, and David Hale rotating through the 50m arc.

As for us, we’re quietly confident of causing an upset in Launceston.

I know not many people are giving us much of a chance, but that doesn’t worry us at all. Hawthorn might be the reigning premiers, but 2014 is a brand new season and it’s anyone’s game.