Third-year Lions utility Jesse O’Brien is hoping to become a more regular member of the senior side after completing another tough pre-season.

O’Brien made his AFL senior debut back in his first season with the Club in 2010, before adding a further 12 matches to his career total last season.

Now, after a gruelling pre-season campaign, the 21 year-old South Australian feels ready to take that next step in his AFL development.

“My personal goal this year is to cement a spot in the senior team and hopefully keep improving and play more games than I did last year,” O’Brien told Lions fans during a live online chat on Wednesday.

“I’ve been training mostly in the midfield, on the wing and in the forward line, so hopefully you will see me playing everywhere.”

He also said that the Club’s tough pre-season - which included one particularly hard session involving 26 x 150m sprints - had helped him become better prepared physically for the 2012 season.

“I’ve added about four kilos to the frame this year, so hopefully you will see me throwing my weight around a bit more this year,” he joked.

“But I still want to add a few more kilos though.”

Having come out of the Lions’ opening round of NAB Cup matches unscathed, O’Brien was asked which of his team-mates he was most impressed with from the Club’s first official hitout.

“I think Joel Patfull and ‘Goose’ Maguire were solid down back, and I thought they were very impressive,” he said.

“But also watch out for Elliot Yeo and Sammy Docherty, both look like great players.”

CLICK HERE to read the full transcript from Jesse O’Brien’s online chat.