WHILE a number of his experienced teammates will miss Saturday night's NAB Cup opener against St Kilda on the Gold Coast, Brisbane Lions vice-captain Luke Power is champing at the bit to get his season rolling.

Power says that unless there's a training mishap in the next 24 hours, he will be named to play – welcome news for a young side given the absence of captain Jonathan Brown and Simon Black, who broke his left hand last week.

Brown is the final stages of his recovery from post-season hip surgery.

No Lion has played more pre-season games than Power and he is looking forward to number 28.

"I just think if you're fit and available you should play because there'll be plenty of times in your career when you won't be able to because of injury or whatever,'' he said on Wednesday.

"It's just a question of whether you can play or not. Players that aren't playing would love to, but their preparation hasn't allowed them to.''

The 29-year-old midfielder added that the match against the Saints "would be nice to win", but that it was equally important for the team to test new coach Michael Voss' structure and game plan.

"It's just important to play the football we want to play and do the non-negotiables that we want to implement,'' he said.

With 217 games and three premierships under his belt, Power has seen just about everything since joining the Lions in 1997.

It gives him the confidence to put his club in the mix this season, admitting that 2008 grand finalists Geelong and Hawthorn sit apart from the rest of the contenders.

"But every team is confident at this time of year and the proof's in the pudding with winning matches,'' he said.

"We should have finished higher last season with some of the games we led and ended up losing.

"We panicked a bit under pressure but everyone got some more experience and hopefully we'll be better for that.''

Power said good years could be expected from midfield types Cheynee Stiller, Bradd Dalziell and Troy Selwood if pre-season training was anything to go by.