Another quiet outing by Jonathan Brown has hardly sounded alarm bells for Brisbane AFL coach Michael Voss.
Speculation about the co-captain’s longevity was reignited after he was limited to six touches by West Coast’s Eric Mackenzie in last round’s 26-point loss at the Gabba.
However, Voss said Brown’s impact could not be measured by statistics.
“People look at the stats box … (but) I thought some of the contests he was involved in during the weekend were huge and created goals,” he said.
“When you have been a great player like Browny – and he has been a great – you come to expect a certain standard from him.
“But we have said we can’t afford to be reliant on him. He has to be one of six or seven kicking goals.
“When he does go back to the 12 marks and four goals that everyone wants, to me that will be cream on top.”
Brown has been limited to 12 goals in seven games this season for the Lions.
Voss said Brown wanted to take it “year by year” but believed it was too early to speculate about his skipper’s future.
“I don’t think that really needs to go into,” he said.
“Those chats are for a different time, not now.
“I have had lots of chats about where he’s at. I am quite comfortable with the contribution he makes.
“His leadership around the place is second to none. There’s not too many greater.”
Voss is under enough pressure himself after the Lions slumped to a 2-5 record following a weekend report claiming the off-contract Lions coach had until round 15 to prove his worth.
“To me, the predictions are fairly early,” Voss said.
“For us, it’s about us proving them wrong.
“Our space is the next contest. Anything else outside of that is just noise.”
Meanwhile, Voss hoped to provide Brent Staker a long-awaited comeback against Essendon following two knee reconstructions.
“We have been waiting for that moment where the physical and mental part aligns but he is feeling a lot more sure about what he can do,” Voss said of Staker who last played AFL in late 2011.
And Voss said he was surprised by Matthew Leuenberger’s progress.
The ruckman is back to full form after playing just three games last year due to an Achilles complaint.
“He’s really stepped in like he hasn’t missed a lot of footy at all,” he said.
“As a coach, the two players I would dearly have loved to have had the last couple of years is Leuenberger and Staker.
“The sooner we can get him (Staker) up and going, the better the team will be.”