Rather than raise a white flag, defiant Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss will wield a selection axe in a bid to salvage something from their 2012 AFL campaign.

Voss said he could feel for Richmond coach Damien Hardwick ahead of their clash at the Gabba on Saturday night after the Tigers lost their third straight game by less than a goal last round.

However, there won’t be any sympathy this weekend from what promises to be a new-look Lions as they try to bounce back from last round’s “unacceptable” loss to West Coast.

Daniel Rich (suspension) and Josh Drummond (knee) are expected to return for the Lions while there is a question mark over Matt Maguire (ankle).

But a fed up Voss might add a few more from the Lions’ successful reserves outfit which tops the NEAFL table after vowing not to “gift” players games any more.

Asked if he would make team changes, Voss said: “Probably – otherwise we’re tolerating mediocrity.

“That’s not how we demonstrate we’re improving as a football club. There’ll be personnel changes.

“The result on the weekend is unacceptable.

“There’s a difference counting your games and making your games count.

“We’re making sure when we go out there, there’s a level of expectation and a culture among this footy team and character we want to demonstrate.”

Richmond – once $1.22 with bookies to make the 2012 finals – and a Lions side that has won just 11 games in two seasons might seem poles apart in their progress but both teams stand at 7-10 ahead of this weekend’s clash.

Voss said he could empathise with Hardwick but wouldn’t be so forgiving on Saturday night as his side looked to go out swinging in 2012.

“I listened to Damien Hardwick’s comments after the game and he was clearly shattered, as were his players, but there was a firm message there that they wanted to play out the season,” he said.

“I think they’re in a fairly similar boat to us.

“They’re a footy team that want to show they’ve grown.

“They’ve got some genuine improvement in that group although their wins at this stage aren’t as reflective as the close nature of their games.

“We’ve got both teams that find themselves in the same situation so I think it’ll make for a really big game.”