The Brisbane Lions have the rare luxury of naming an unchanged side, while St Kilda has rushed in reliable defender Max Hudghton ahead of the Easter Thursday showdown at the Gabba.

Comeback kid Nigel Lappin, dashing defender Jason Roe and tough competitor Robbie Copeland emerged from Saturday's season-opening win over Hawthorn with niggles - but all have been named in the Lions' side for tomorrow night's match.

St Kilda, on the other hand, was unable to select Matt Maguire, who has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the foot on the same leg that he broke in horrific fashion last year. In his absence, the Saints have called on Hudghton, who had an interrupted pre-season with a groin injury and is now likely to face the daunting first-up assignment of curtailing Lions centre half-forward Jonathan Brown.

Several other intriguing match-ups loom on an evening when the Lions will honour their greatest-ever player, Michael Voss. Youngster Daniel Merrett looks a good chance to be entrusted with the stopping job on in-form St Kilda forward Fraser Gehrig, while Simon Black and experienced Saint Lenny Hayes have been named to go head-to-head in the midfield - although it wouldn't surprise if Steven Baker also spent time on the star Lion.

If the two teams line up as selected, Lions centre half-back Jared Brennan will find himself doing battle with Justin Koschitzke.

Southport product and Saints glamour boy Nick Riewoldt was ruled out with a back injury, with Jamie Charman missing again for the Lions with achilles trouble.

Brisbane:

B: Matthew Moody, Daniel Merrett, Jason RoeHB: Jed Adcock, Jared Brennan, Robert CopelandC: Justin Sherman, Nigel Lappin, Cheynee StillerHF: Chris Johnson, Jonathan Brown, Tim NottingF: Michael Rischitelli, Joel Patfull, Ashley McGrathFol: Cameron Wood, Simon Black, Luke PowerI/C: Ben Fixter, Beau McDonald, Colm Begley, Scott HardingEmg: Marcus Allan, Matthew Tyler, Wayde Mills

St Kilda:

B: Steven Baker, Sam Fisher, Brendan GoddardHB: Jason Gram, Max Hudghton, Leigh FisherC: Andrew Thompson, Luke Ball, Leigh MontagnaHF: Robert Harvey, Justin Koschitzke, Jason BlakeF: Xavier Clarke, Fraser Gehrig, Stephen MilneFol: Matthew Clarke, Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal SantoI/C: Jayden Attard, Aaron Fiora, Andrew McQualter, Michael RixEmg: Shane Birss, Barry Brooks, Brett Voss

ON THE PUNT

It seems the punters took notice of St Kilda's round one dismantling of Melbourne, with the Saints firming to $1.50 favourites in head-to-head betting - in spite of Riewoldt's absence. The Lions are at $2.55. Although the money has obviously come for St Kilda, investors aren't expecting a blowout, even though the Saints have won the last three clashes between the two sides by an average of 76 points. A St Kilda win of 39 points or less is listed at $2.15, with $3 about a Lions win by the same margin and $4 being bet about the Saints winning by 40 or more.

Just as St Kilda's early form didn't go unseen, so too, it appears, did fans appreciate the round one efforts of Simon Black. After being at $71 in Brownlow Medal betting part-way through the pre-season, Black is suddenly much nearer the top of the charts at $13. That price places him on the fourth line of betting, ahead of his previously more fancied teammate Jonathan Brown, as well as last year's Brownlow winner Adam Goodes (Sydney).

KEY MATCH-UPS

Daniel Merrett (Lions) v Fraser Gehrig (St Kilda): Merrett is one of the league's most promising emerging defenders but he will have to be at his most alert against Gehrig. The G-Train, as commentators love to call him, can occasionally run off the tracks - but when the mood takes him he does things few full-forwards can. Big enough to wrestle and fast enough to steal a break on a lead, Gehrig likes nothing better than to pivot on his heels after taking a mark and play on to his preferred left side. The good news for Lions fans is that Merrett has the strength to match it physically with Gehrig and the athleticism to go with him on the lead. Experience and success against the likes of Barry Hall should also stand him in good stead.

Jonathan Brown (Lions) v Max Hudghton (and whoever else St Kilda throw at him): As was the case against Hawthorn last week, it's rare that Brown finds himself without more than one opponent. Had Matt Maguire been available, Ross Lyon could well have been tempted to go one-on-one. But will he do the same with Hudghton, whose pre-season and preparation have been interrupted by groin trouble? Whichever (and however many) defenders Brown draws, it's going to be interesting to watch. The big man seldom has one quiet outing, much less two in a row. Certainly punters figure Brown will be more prominent in round two - only Gehrig is at shorter (and just marginally shorter) odds to kick the most goals for the game.

Simon Black (Lions) v Lenny Hayes (St Kilda): In an era in which agility and vertical leap testing help identify the best young talent, Black and Hayes are throwbacks. Neither is possessed of jet-heeled speed that would enable them to break the lines, a la Chris Judd. But both have plenty of stamina, an ability to find the football and the skills to do something with it. Hayes is coming off a knee reconstruction, meaning he'll have his work cut out against the red hot Black. But if their respective coaches let them go head-to-head, it's going to be a treat to watch. Black versus the super smooth Nick Dal Santo is another potentially entertaining match-up, while Steven Baker might be called on to shadow the Lions co-captain if Black gets going early.

ODDS & SODS

***All the post-match talk after the last Easter Thursday clash at the Gabba between the two sides centred on a spot of push and shove involving Nick Riewoldt. Interestingly, none of the four parties involved in the jostling will be the on the field on Thursday night. Riewoldt is sidelined by a back injury, while Mal Michael is now at Essendon. A long-term hip complaint means Chris Scott is on the Lions' injury list and that's also where you can find Aaron Hamill at the Saints, courtesy of a troublesome knee.

***For a second match in a row, the Lions will field no debutants. In both 2005 and 2006, the Lions rolled out four debutants over the first two rounds.

***Barring unforeseen circumstances, only one of Queensland's most decorated pair of footballing brothers will take to the Gabba on Thursday night. Michael Voss, Lions premiership captain and now Channel 10 commentator, will have his illustrious career acknowledged by the club he served for 15 seasons. Brett Voss, a Lion for 35 games between 1997 and 2000, has been named an emergency for the Saints for the second week in a row.

***The Lions haven't beaten St Kilda in the wake of that much-discussed Easter Eve tussle at the Gabba in round one of 2005. And that fact is reflected in Brownlow voting - not a single Lions player has picked up a vote in the three games since. Nick Dal Santo, by contrast, has polled in each of them.

***It's probably nothing more than a statistical quirk, but the selection of Nick Riewoldt with the No.1 pick of the 2000 National Draft seems to have kickstarted a steady flow of Queenslanders/ex-Lions to Moorabbin. In the 11 years of drafts before that, the Saints' sole venture to the Sunshine State had been to take Max Hudghton from West Brisbane with the No.15 selection of the 1996 draft. But since Riewoldt, there has been Brett Voss and Trent Knobel (both trade 2001), Jason Gram (trade 2003), Sam Gilbert (No. 33, 2005), David Armitage (No. 9, 2006), Brad Howard (No.27, 2006) and Jayden Attard (2006 rookie draft).