EVEN with 201 games and two premierships to his name, full-forward Daniel Bradshaw is more motivated than ever to see the Brisbane Lions return to the top eight.

At 30, Bradshaw is among the club's elder statesmen and a handful of survivors from the halcyon era that produced four successive grand final appearances from 2001, including three flags.

The Lions haven't played finals football since losing to Port Adelaide in 2004 and would have ended that wait if not for five losses from six games to close last season.

However, Bradshaw said the appointment of former teammate Michael Voss as coach and the influx of new teammates has gone a long way to setting up their assault on 2009.

"I'm as motivated as I've ever been," he said. "As you get older and more young guys come in, they tend to make you feel younger.

"The key is how quickly we adapt to the new style of play but the signs in the first two matches are good and you'd think if we didn't make it to finals it'd be a failed season."

On a personal level, Bradshaw sets no such goals but acknowledges the importance of his forward combination with captain Jonathan Brown.

They've been the Lions' focal points in attack since Alastair Lynch's retirement in 2004, however, injury and suspension kept them from regularly playing together until last season.

"We've got to be careful we don't spoil each other and get in each other's way," Bradshaw said.

"We want to be one-out as much as we can."

Last season's career-high 75-goal haul from 20 games was a welcome surprise for Bradshaw, who missed all of 2007 with a knee reconstruction.

He said his successful return was a by-product of a relaxed attitude.

"I didn't expect to play that well," he said. "You see blokes coming back from knees and you're just never sure how it'll go. So I just didn't put any pressure on myself and I think that helped.

"If I didn't get a kick I wouldn't get down on myself.

"But the key this year is to back it up and that's the challenge."

Bradshaw started his campaign in last week's NAB Cup quarter-final against Essendon at Docklands and will line up against Melbourne in Cairns on Friday night.

Some back soreness from the travel was all that bothered him; something he said would correct itself as the season unfolds.

Dream Team watch – Daniel Bradshaw is rated a $337,900 forward in Toyota AFL Dream Team 2009.