RUCKMAN Jamie Charman believes the Brisbane Lions could be a force to be reckoned with come September.
The 27-year-old, who is currently nursing a recently-reconstructed ankle that will keep him from playing again this season, says he can see the Lions mounting a finals charge that might leave some surprised.
"I think we're only going to improve because I don't think we've really put together four solid quarters yet, except for maybe against the Sydney Swans," Charman told afl.com.au.
"There's plenty of improvement there for us, and we're only going to get better as the years go on."
Charman said the players had clearly responded to rookie coach – former teammate for many of them – Michael Voss since he took over at the end of last season.
He said because the Lions were playing for Voss, they had improved from the side that finished 10th last year.
"Since he's been here he's always backed his players and been very good," Charman said.
"He's always commanded that respect as both a player and a captain, and then when he came into the club as coach there was no real change in any of the respect you had for him.
"He's moved into the role sensationally. He's really brought another level to coaching from what I've seen from Leigh (Matthews).
"I don't want to take anything away from Leigh, but there are now fresh ideas and new coaching techniques that the boys are really responding to."
Charman's leg is still in a moon-boot and he expects his rehabilitation to really lift as his teammates break for their end-of-season holidays.
"I'll probably train through my September-October holidays and make sure I'm right for March next year," he said.
He added it was particularly tough to watch the Lions win five of their last seven games and move to fifth on the ladder, given he didn't have the opportunity to enjoy or contribute to the success.
"After the last couple of years when it's been hard to get some wins against good sides, it's been difficult to sit back and watch this year when they're achieving that," he said.
"They're the ones you play football for. You might have some little lows in footy, but they're certainly ones you want to be a part of – when you have good wins against good teams."
Charman has had his fair share of injuries over the years, including a knee, broken wrist and ankle this season alone.
However, he says he won't compromise his physical style of game in order to take a cautious approach to his body when he returns for 2010.
"There are a lot of the bigger guys out at the moment with injuries – David Hille, Aaron Sandilands," he said.
"It is a position where you can be injury-prone. I suppose when you're a bash-and-crash sort of ruckman, it doesn't help.
"That's the sort of game I've always played and I'm probably not going to go away from that now. It's pretty hard to change your style after nine years of footy that's worked for you."
