BRISBANE Lions full-back Daniel Merrett was a late bloomer in the sport but he's quickly become one of the club's outstanding leaders.

Having now played 68 games, including every game in the last two seasons, Merrett was recently rewarded for his on and off-field contributions when named one of the Lions' four vice-captains for 2009.

Merrett, who turns 24 on Friday, only took Australian football up in his final years at high school and has flourished since being drafted as a project player in 2002. He made his AFL debut in 2005.

He said joining Simon Black, Luke Power and Jed Adcock in captain Jonathan Brown's leadership group was a huge buzz.

"It was a strange feeling when I got told," he said.

"I'd seen myself as a leader in the backline and I do see myself as a leader, but when they put a tag on it that hit home with me.

"I'm not really going to change too much on the field. Doing what I've done is what got me here in the first place."

Merrett said he had been working on his fitness and skills this pre-season – two areas that he felt needed the most attention ahead of another campaign.

And he said he couldn't wait to continue the work of a backline that provided some stability for the Lions in 2008.

Merrett, 196cm and 102kg, had Joel Patfull and Joel Macdonald join him in the back half for most of the season, and that combination had a lot to do with the Lions' 7-4 record at the halfway mark.

"I've got a lot of confidence in those guys, and Jason Roe and Ash McGrath and even Jed when he goes back there," he said, also acknowledging Josh Drummond who battled injury at stages of the year.

"Joel Patfull plays taller than he is. I think we've definitely got the troops down there.

"I'm keeping an eye on the fellas in the backline [in pre-season training] and I've been impressed with Tom Collier, and Josh Drummond is looking particularly good for this time of year so hopefully that's a good sign of things to come for him."

Merrett said the club had been a "happy, united environment" in new coach Michael Voss' first two months at the helm.