Veteran Brisbane defender Ryan Lester says an early season bye came at the ideal time for the Lions, who are intent on kick-starting their campaign with a win on Saturday over St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.<\/p>\n
The back-to-back premiers started the defence of their latest flag with successive losses to the Western Bulldogs and Sydney Swans.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of our experiences in the last few years, we know that losing a couple of games in a row isn\u2019t the end of the world,\u201d Lester said on Friday.<\/p>\n
However, he said his team appreciated having a bye last weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bye wasn\u2019t at a bad time for us. We haven\u2019t got a result yet this year, so it was a reset and we\u2019re out to get our first win,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe felt like against the Bulldogs we played really well. In Sydney we weren\u2019t very good, but it was can repeat that (performance against the Bulldogs) we give ourselves a good chance, but you\u2019ve got to not just play well, you\u2019re got to get results.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re chasing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lester said the return of Zac Bailey, Logan Morris and Darcy Gardiner on Saturday would be important to Brisbane\u2019s hopes of beating the Saints, despite still being with two of their co-captains, the suspended Harris Andrews and the injured Hugh McCluggage. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime you get three or four really good players going in or out, it makes a big difference,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose three coming in, plus guys like Linc (McCarthy) and Noah (Answeth), and \u2018Drapes\u2019 (Sam Draper) and Oscar (Allen), guys who have probably been pretty injury prone for the last couple of years, they\u2019ve had their first run now, so hopefully we can get more output out of them and get the result we\u2019re after.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lester said he had been content with his own form this season despite Brisbane\u2019s two losses.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy with how I\u2019ve started personally, no doubt,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing able to play on (Charlie) Curnow against Sydney is not usually a job that I would have, so it gave me a bit of confidence in terms of being able to play that way when I\u2019m required to.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully I can keep going and the team can get a win. We\u2019ve got to play well to beat (St Kilda). <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are not many teams in the comp that you can have an off day against and still win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lester would also hopeful that playing in Melbourne for the first time this season would inspire the Lions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe like playing in front of our fans down here. We\u2019ve got a great supporter base, and we\u2019ve felt that over the past four or five years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got great memories in Melbourne.\u201d<\/p>\n