SIMON Black will miss the Brisbane Lions' match against West Coast on Sunday due to a knee injury he sustained when playing with his eight-month-old son.

Black, 33, was rocking his son Lachlan when he felt a pinch in the knee.

After thinking he had overcome the problem, the Brownlow medallist played in Sunday's 16-point loss against the Kangaroos, but it flared up and he was substituted out during the third quarter.

Lions' coach Michael Voss confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that although scans revealed no serious damage, Black would be forced to sit out against the Eagles ahead of the round 11 bye.

"I think Blacky will miss," Voss said.

"We'll rest him up, put him on a bit of ice, he's earnt the rest. We have to throw it to a bunch of other guys that we expect to be able to step up.

"He's got some genuine soreness there and we need to make sure we look after him and give the chance for a few other guys to get the job done."

It's the second baby-related injury in two seasons for a Lions veteran after Black's close mate Luke Power missed last year's round one fixture against Fremantle after he injured his back when picking up a baby's bath.

The Lions have had moderate success without Black in recent seasons, winning two of six matches in his absence since 2009.

He also missed the 29-point round three loss against Fremantle with a broken hand, but Voss said he was confident his young midfielders could fill the void.

The Lions' coach went as far as to say it was the best emerging midfield group at the club since he was involved as a player in the triple premiership era.

"Blacky's been relied upon for quite a while … but there's an onus on these [young] guys to step up," Voss said.

"I think the group coming through now, not since I've come through with the group I had, have we had such an emerging midfield and that makes it real exciting.

"[They have] a lot to learn and get better at, but when you see the emergence of some players coming into that area there's more reason to be excited."

Voss was referring to the core group of Daniel Rich, Jack Redden and Tom Rockliff, and players such as Jared Polec, Dayne Zorko, Elliot Yeo, Claye Beams and Josh Green also bobbing up this season.

He said if the Lions could emulate West Coast's contested brand of football, they would go a long way towards improving on their 3-6 record.

"We talk about the fundamentals and that's the basics they seem to have right," Voss said.

"I read an article from Dean Cox talking about their attitude to defence. When you get that, it helps you win the footy back quicker and from there it's about your efficiency and being able to use the footy."

Michael Whiting covers Brisbane Lions news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_mikewhiting

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL