Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff has declared himself a certain starter for their AFL round one clash despite failing to play a pre-season game for the Lions.
Rockliff missed his last chance to feature in the NAB Challenge when he pulled out of Sunday’s Gold Coast clash with Greater Western Sydney due to a recurring back-related hamstring complaint.
But Rockliff said nothing would stop him from running out against West Coast in Perth on March 27.
“I am more than confident my body will be fine for round one,” he said on Friday.
“I am pretty much match conditioned.
“I have done a fair chunk of the pre-season.
“I have done all the contested stuff and the intra-club (game) – I’ll be fine.”
Rockliff said the hamstring complaint had flared three times in the pre-season.
But he insisted he would have played against the Giants if the problem had flared earlier in the week.
“It’s not so serious,” he said.
“If I had done it on Monday I would have played but unfortunately I did it on Wednesday.”
Rockliff said the injury may have flared because he missed a run in last weekend’s washed out trial against St Kilda in Mackay.
“Unfortunately I didn’t get that chance in Mackay,” he said.
“It’s important I get my body ticking over.”
Mitch Robinson, Dayne Zorko and Pearce Hanley are back for Brisbane against the GWS.
The Giants hope ruckman Shane Mumford will recover from an ankle injury in time and play.