Andrew Raines set to re-sign at Brisbane

BRISBANE tagger Andrew Raines is set to re-sign with the Lions as he prepares to play his 100th match against Port Adelaide.

BRISBANE tagger Andrew Raines is set to re-sign with the Lions as he prepares to play his 100th match against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium this Saturday.

The 26-year-old joined Brisbane at the end of 2009 after playing 56 games with Richmond and has re-invented himself as one of the competition's better defensive midfielders in the past 12 months.

Raines has held his own against the likes of Gary Ablett and Joel Selwood in 2012 and is looking to claim more superstar scalps as a long-term Lion.


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"I'm currently in negotiations at the moment so hopefully will put pen to paper shortly. I love this club and enjoy being back up in the warm climate," Raines said.

He is also relishing his tagging role which he suggested to Brisbane coach Michael Voss.

"I suppose I took the initiative. I just went to Vossy about two pre-seasons ago (and said) I'd like the opportunity to maybe play on the opposition's best player in the midfield...it was a really good opportunity to play consistent football after two or three years in the wilderness.

"I suppose you have to look at Ablett and (Dane) Swan and (Scott) Pendlebury and these types (as the best opponents he has faced).

"Each of them are really good and they are all different in their own way. They all have got similar game-winning ability whether that's on the scoreboard or whether that's breaking the lines or winning the contested footy, they are all very different but they are all star players."

Raines said while he was reaching a significant milestone that once appeared out of reach due to a horror run of injuries, he was more concerned about Brisbane following on from its stirring comeback win over Adelaide last Saturday night with wins over the Power and the Western Bulldogs in the final two weeks of the home-and-away season.

Meanwhile, Lions full Matt Maguire is set to be sidelined for the rest of the season after succumbing to an on-going ankle injury in the first quarter of last weekend’s win over Adelaide.