The Brisbane Lions can aim for a top-eight finish in 2007, according to emerging utility Cheynee Stiller.

Stiller, who started 2006 as a rookie before being elevated to the senior list and playing 13 games, is one of a clutch of young cubs to emerge at the Gabba in the past two seasons. He is confident he and his fellow youngsters can merge with more seasoned campaigners – including several returning from injury – to form a more competitive outfit.

"I think we are a realistic shot at making the eight," Stiller told lions.com.au. "I suppose a lot of teams will say the same if all their good players are able to get out on the field. But we have a lot of experienced players who should play a fair bit more footy this year and a bunch of younger guys who now have a few games behind them. I definitely think we can look at the finals."

This time last year, most observers didn't envision Stiller being in the reckoning for a regular senior berth – he hadn’t played in either of the Lions' 2006 NAB Cup matches. Even now, after a debut season in which he averaged better than 20 disposals a match, the 20-year-old still believes his spot in the side is one he'll have to fight for.

"I feel like I’m a better player than I was going into last year. I've got another AFL pre-season under my belt and I've had the summer to work on some of my weaknesses," he said.

"But, to be honest, I don't really feel too different to this time last year. I'm a little more confident having played a few games, but there are going to be a lot of guys back from injury and there is going to be competition for spots."

Competition from resuming veterans or not, the Lions' NAB Cup campaign was further evidence of the exciting young talent at the club. While 2006 wasn't a watershed year for the club – only seven wins and a 13th-place finish – Stiller hopes the growing pains associated with blooding 10 debutants, on top of 11 in 2005, have long-term benefits.

"Last year was unfortunate with injuries and the way the team went. But I guess it gave some of us younger guys opportunities to play and helped the club to find a few players for the future," Stiller said.

"Without some of the more experienced guys, like ‘Vossy’ (Michael Voss) and ‘Leppa’ (Justin Leppitsch), who were still playing last year, it's now almost like the younger generation makes up the majority. There is a really good atmosphere around the place and I think we showed that in the NAB Cup. There had been a bit of bad press about us last year and over the pre-season – we wanted to show we didn't deserve it by playing well in the NAB Cup."

Of course the Lions' fortunes in 2007 will also be heavily dependent on the contributions of the club's more experienced players, including recently named co-captains Jonathan Brown and Nigel Lappin, both of whom missed chunks of the past two seasons – in Lappin's case the entirety of 2006 – with injury. Stiller believes the unique five-captain model unveiled by the club last week will have few, if any, drawbacks and plenty of benefits.

"It might look unusual but I really don't think it's going to be strange at all," Stiller said..

"We've had those five guys as the leadership group since the start of pre-season training and we've got used to that. This way there will always be a captain around when you need one. I think it will work really well."