Daniel McStay will make his first appearance for the year against Essendon at the Gabba on Saturday night.

The power forward has overcome a knee injury and will bypass the reserves and return directly to AFL action.

He is one of three changes to the side that went down to the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat last Saturday.

Callum Ah Chee returns to the 22 after being the medical sub last week while Jaxon Prior is back for this second taste at senior level having made his debut against Geelong in Round 2.

Deven Robertson, Tom Fullarton and Thomas Berry have been omitted.

McStay was a pre-season standout, and his return gives Senior Coach Chris Fagan and all Lions fans their first look, at AFL level, at the three-pronged forward line the club envisioned when they recruited Joe Daniher.

He played alongside Daniher and Eric Hipwood in a pre-season scratch match against the Suns but then injured himself at training in the lead-up to the AAMI Series game also against the Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.

Fagan said the 25-year-old would not only be another offensive threat to the opposition, he would also contribute to the cohesion of the Lions’ forward line.

“He is a really good structure player, he understands how a forward line needs to work and he is a good organiser of others,’’ he said.

“You bring him back into the team and straight away you get that.

“But he’s also a dangerous forward, he can mark the ball and kick it through the goals and also set-up opportunities for others.

“For a big man he is good at ground level and he has also got some speed.

“So, he has certainly got some attributes.’’