The Brisbane Lions can expect more midfield attention in 2020, but they now have the depth and diversity to counter almost anything.

The Lions' surge up the ladder in 2019 was built largely off the back of its centre square combination of ruckman Stefan Martin, captain Dayne Zorko, Lachie Neale and Jarryd Lyons.

All had magnificent seasons and were able to generate clean takeaways that gave Brisbane's forwards plenty of opportunities.

Throw in wingmen Mitch Robinson and Hugh McCluggage along with midfield rotations from Jarrod Berry, and the Lions were in good shape.

Health willing, it should be even better in 2020.

"We do expect a lot more attention this year," Zorko told AFL.com.au.

"We've added more depth to our list this year in Cam Ellis-Yolmen, we've got someone like Cal Ah Chee that could go through there.

"The great thing about our team at the moment is there's so many different options for us in the midfield.

Teams can do their homework, but we feel we've got the capacity to throw different looks at times that teams may not expect.

- Dayne Zorko

In the club's most recent match simulation in Hobart, Cam Rayner spent good minutes on-ball, while Charlie Cameron is expected to also pinch minutes in the coming year.

That duo, with Zorko and possibly Ah Chee and Zac Bailey offer plenty of speed around the contest, but it's former Adelaide powerhouse Ellis-Yolmen that could really add another dimension. 

Ellis-Yolmen stands 190cm and weighs 97kg, a much broader frame to those sported by Zorko, Neale and Lyons.

"He'll just be a bigger presence for us in there," Zorko said.

"He gives us a bit more of an option with those bigger bodied midfielders, but he still has the speed and agility like a small player.

"He has so much flexibility in the roles he can do for us.

"What I've seen in the pre-season is he attacks the ball like I've never seen before.

"He's like a vacuum cleaner, picks a lot of things up. He just throws himself at the contest, similar to a Patrick Dangerfield how they just dive on the ball and get up and off they go again."
You only have to look back to Chris Fagan's first year as coach, 2017, when Zorko, then captain Dayne Beams and Tom Rockliff carried almost all of the midfield load.

The depth and diversity has improved so much in the ensuing three years that Zorko will now spend more time in the forward line that he does around the contest.

"I've worked on facets of my game over the last few years knowing that hopefully I'll finish my career playing forward," he said.

"If I can go in there (midfield) for five or six minutes a quarter and help out, I'm more than happy to do that.

"It's great to have so many options and it gives Fages and the coaching group a really big headache.

"Selection is going to be hard this year, even harder than last year."