BRISBANE Lions coach Michael Voss believes Collingwood forward Anthony Rocca offers far more to his side than what he simply registers on the scoreboard.

Rocca, who has been troubled by an ankle injury, will play his first game since round 13 last year when the Lions host the Magpies on Friday night.

And Voss, searching for successive wins, is very wary of the veteran's inclusion.

"He adds a lot of strength and leadership to them and a fair bit of presence,'' he said.

"We've had enormous respect for Rocca for a long period of time and he's able to influence the team around him. [He has] a big body, great presence about him and he can take that high mark or kick that 70m goal.

"So when you've got players like that they really do add to the value of your football team.

"There's the actual real things he can give you – the skills, then there's those things you can't measure that can have an impact on your team.''

Voss also extended his admiration for the opposition to mobile Collingwood ruckman Josh Fraser, who is poised to lock horns with the recalled Jamie Charman and Mitch Clark given Matthew Leuenberger's knee injury.

Fraser is effectively another ruck rover and generates a lot of the Magpies' offensive run, Voss said.

However, Voss dispelled any fears his important utility Jared Brennan might be short of a run after just one match in the reserves.

Brennan, who kicked seven goals against the Pies in a 2007 match, had been sidelined for four weeks with a quad injury.

"He's had a pretty good build up,'' Voss said.

"He had a full pre-season, played three practice matches, did two full weeks of training, went back to the reserves last week and played, so he's pretty primed.

"When you turn up to a game you've still got that same feeling in the stomach of being unsure with what's going to happen. It's not until the game starts and you start getting your hands on the football that the confidence grows.''

The game is likely to attract the Lions' highest rating national television audience of the home and away season but Voss said the group had not discussed the scrutiny of the big stage.

He said the Lions were a new group still "earning respect".

"We're still unproven as a group and we've still got to go about earning that," he said.

"There's a scoreboard that says you're in front at the end of the day and there's another scoreboard that we've got to get right.

"One factor is how many goals you kick and then there's the way you want to be able to play. There are so many things we want to be able to get done as a team.

"You love playing Collingwood. It's a big game. That's what it comes down to.''