A CANDID Brisbane Lions midfielder Jack Redden has put the onus squarely on the midfield to reverse the team's flagging fortunes against Collingwood at the Gabba on Saturday night.

The Lions were smashed by Essendon's engine room last weekend as they received a 67-point pasting.

Redden said the Lions had a frank review of the match on Monday afternoon and did not like what they saw.

He said any hopes of beating the rejuvenated Magpies rested with the men in the middle.

"They're probably the benchmark in the League. They're an elite midfield group," Redden said.

"The big one that let us down [against Essendon] was the midfield, the clearances, stoppages, scores from stoppages, so that's a big one for us.

"It's disappointing as a whole midfield group, not just a couple of individuals. All of us have got to take the blame for that and hopefully we can redeem ourselves this week."

Redden said there was no point glossing over the deficiencies and collectively the Lions had already identified where they went wrong.

"The big one for us this week is contested ball and then getting out on the spread and getting uncontested marks," he said.

"When we're playing our good footy we're in and at it, getting hard, contested ball. That's where it starts from, the engine room."

After hidings from three of the competition's elite teams in the past five weeks - Carlton, Geelong and Essendon - the Lions opted for a change of training scenery on Tuesday.

They headed 90km south of the Gabba to a sun-drenched North Burleigh Surf Club for a 45-minute recovery session on the beach.

Coach Michael Voss had an extended chat with champion onballer Simon Black after the session, and Redden said they needed to do more to help the Brownlow medallist on game day.

Black has been heavily tagged the past two weeks and received little support.

"As a midfield group it's important for us to help support Blacky, take two-for-ones and free him up," Redden said.

"As you see Geelong, how much they protect Joel Selwood when he's getting tagged, hopefully we can do it this week with the tagger if Blacky does get tagged."

One man the Lions will welcome back this week is their own run-with player Andrew Raines who served a one-match suspension for striking Selwood in round five.

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