JOSH Drummond will miss the opening round of the season after taking longer than expected to recover from a hip operation.
 
Drummond had surgery immediately following the 2011 season and after a slow build-up during pre-season, was hopeful of lining up against Melbourne on March 31.
 
However, his coach has other ideas, with Michael Voss confirming on Thursday the 28-year-old would not be available at the start of the season.
 
"It's probably unrealistic to think Josh will be available for round one," Voss said.
 
"Certainly we're hopeful he'll play games before then but his fitness base has taken a little bit longer.
 
"He's had a fairly big surgery so we've got to go slow with him. His ball use is second to none, we know how valuable he is for us. We want to get him out there."
 
Drummond has played 79 games in a frustrating seven-season career laced with injuries to almost every part of his lower body.
 
He was hopeful of playing late in the NAB Cup and said despite the setbacks he was not dropping his head.
 
"You definitely have moments where you wish it'd go a different way," Drummond said.
 
"But being negative or feeling sorry for yourself doesn't help you get back out there or won't help me get through a full season of footy. I'm naturally a pretty positive sort of guy so I don't think about it too much.
 
"I try to narrow it down to what I need to do to get better and stronger and focus my energy on that.
 
"There's no point moping around the club. There's guys out there that are worse off than me."
 
Voss, Drummond and captain Jonathan Brown were speaking at Australia Zoo as part of the Lions' Community Camp.
 
Brown said he got through Wednesday's intra-club trial with no problems.

In further good news for the club, Voss said resting Daniel Rich from the match was a precautionary measure only.
 
Rich has a stress reaction in the same foot that sidelined him for six games last season.
 
"We're being fairly cautious there because we have no reason to accelerate him," Voss said.
 
"He's completed a full pre-season, he's in as good a condition as I've seen him. We're just being ultra cautious and that makes it ultra frustrating for him because I can guarantee you he wants to play right now, he thinks he's ready to go.
 
"It's on the minor end of the scale. The first game he'll play, baring any hiccups, will be round three of the NAB Cup."
 
The Lions continue their Community Camp on the Sunshine Coast until Friday and will then prepare for their NAB Cup openers against Melbourne and the Gold Coast on February 25.

Michael Whiting covers Brisbane Lions news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_mikewhiting