As the initial shock of Lions Captain Jonathan Brown’s latest facial fracture begins to wear off, the Club - and its fans - are faced with the cold reality of being without their star centre half-forward in the early part of the 2012 season.

But every cloud has a silver lining.

In this circumstance, Brown’s injury setback has opened the door for one of the Lions young key forwards to step up and stake claim to a permanent position in the senior side.

With the Lions skipper also on the wrong side of 30, it will no doubt also provide a glimpse into how the forward line might look in a few years’ time when the three-time Club Champion starts considering hanging up the boots for good.

The speed of the modern game dictates that AFL forward lines can generally only accommodate up to three ‘talls’, with the remaining positions filled primarily with small crumbers and/or speedy mid-sized utilities.

Before his latest training incident, Brown was locked in as the main spearhead of the Lions’ attack, leaving just two positions available for fellow big men to play alongside him.

With only limited positions available, the likes of Aaron Cornelius (192cm), Patrick Karnezis (191cm), Ryan Lester (191cm), Jordan Lisle (196cm) and Bryce Retzlaff (195cm) have developed some healthy competition between them.

That’s not to mention the additional competition from back-up ruckmen Ben Hudson (196cm) and Billy Longer (202cm) who could find themselves up forward at times during their rest from ruck duties.

With Brown ruled out until Round 3, an opportunity has now presented itself for one or more of these names to perform well throughout the remainder of the pre-season competition and demand senior selection. 

Cornelius and Retzlaff, in particular, will be eager to impress after being selected for their first match of the pre-season this Saturday night against Adelaide.

Lisle (two games), Lester (two games) and Longer (one game) will also make the trip to Alice Springs this weekend, while Karnezis (two games) and Hudson (one game) are being rested.

Of the five potential key forward replacements, Cornelius is the most experienced (with 14 matches) and should be ready to make a serious impact in what will be his fourth AFL season.

Cornelius has a career total of 19 goals, including a fresh bag of four kicked against the Crows at the Gabba last season.

Reigning Rookie of the Year Karnezis proved one of the finds for the Lions last year, booting 17 goals from 11 matches at an average bettered only by Brown and eventual leading goal-kicker Mitch Clark at the Club last year.

Then there’s Karnezis’ former Oakleigh Chargers team-mate Ryan Lester, who has overcome a foot injury which plagued him throughout 2011, to prove a legitimate ‘swingman’ who can play at either end of the field.

With Brown sidelined for six weeks, Lester could be used as the plug to temporarily fill that hole.

Meanwhile, Trade Week recruit Jordan Lisle crossed from Hawthorn last year in search for greater opportunities, and has found one immediately.

Lisle only played a handful of games in three years with the Hawks, but has the size and ability to be a potential weapon in attack.

Lions fans are also expecting big things from Bryce Retzlaff this year, with the local Queenslander impressing on the track over the pre-season.

Retzlaff, who is preparing for his third season of AFL, played 11 matches and kicked six goals in 2011 and will be determined to become a more regular fixture in the senior team.

Only time will tell who will earn the right to fill the biggest shoes at the Club in the season-opener.