It’s the news every Brisbane Lions fans has been waiting for in 2012 - captain Jonathan Brown has been cleared for his return to football.

Brown visited his surgeon on Tuesday for the final scheduled appointment since fracturing his cheek bone during a training accident five weeks ago, and was given the all clear to make his return in the Round 3 clash against Fremantle as originally planned.

Even though he had already firmly pencilled a likely return against the Dockers, Brown said it was still welcome news from the surgeon.

“Yeah, it’s great news,” Brown said.

“It’s always a relief getting the all clear from the surgeon. Now I can focus on getting back to playing some footy.”

Brown’s first match back at the Gabba will be against Gold Coast in the QClash - a contest that will also see Simon Black play his 300th AFL match.