BRISBANE is making no excuses ahead of Saturday night, with coach Chris Fagan saying he will walk away from the SCG disappointed if his side loses.
The back-to-back premiers have been decimated by injury and suspension following the Opening Round loss to the Western Bulldogs, with not much more than the bare minimum to select from.
The Lions have 17 players unavailable and have cancelled a VFL practice match against Southport.
Speaking at Brisbane Airport on Friday morning, Fagan said he would need to be "innovative" to prepare his undersized defensive unit for the red-hot Swans.
"It's a big challenge," Fagan said.
"We're probably facing adversity early in the season, but the thing about it is, we've been a club, particularly over the last couple of years, that's been able to cope with that really well.
"It's going to be tested tomorrow night though, because Sydney is in really good form.
"It's going to take one of our better efforts to do it, but we're up for the challenge.
"We're not a team that's going to make any excuses. We're just going there to try and win the game, and we'll be disappointed if we don’t."
The Lions are without suspended trio Harris Andrews, Zac Bailey and Darcy Gardiner, along with injured pair Hugh McCluggage and Logan Morris.
Fagan said he thought Andrews was "unlucky" but accepted the three-match ban for his co-captain’s strike on Bulldog Arty Jones.
"I don't think he intended to do what happened. I understand the suspension, but I don’t think the intent was there. It wasn't an undisciplined act," he said.
"I don't want to get caught up in conversation around whether the Tribunal was fair or the MRO was fair. It is what it is.
"All I'm saying is, I know Harris and I know that was an accident.
"The other two didn't need to happen, so you're a little bit disappointed in those."
Missing Andrews, Gardiner, Jack Payne (knee) and Tom Doedee (wrist) leaves the reigning premier short in the back half of the ground.
Ryan Lester (192cm) will likely get the job on Charlie Curnow, with second-gamer Zane Zakostelsky (196cm) the other recognised key defender selected.
"We're going to have to be innovative," Fagan said.
"Defence is all about what the team does up the field.
"If Sydney get easy entries … Charlie is going to wreak havoc. He'd do that against any defence.
"We've got to get the job done up the field and make their ball movement a problem for them."
