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Richmond's former premiership-winning captain Trent Cotchin will work with Brisbane's leaders in a new off-field role as the beaten grand finalists hunt a flag.

Richmond's retired three-time premiership captain Trent Cotchin has been lured north to Brisbane, where he's set to mentor the leaders of the AFL title hopefuls.

Cotchin was a surprise attendee at the Lions' Gabba training session on Tuesday ahead of Friday night's opening-round date with Carlton.

But he will become a semi-regular sight this season, with club chief executive Greg Swann revealing 33-year-old Cotchin will be working closely with Brisbane co-captains Lachie Neale and Harris Andrews.

Swann said Cotchin, who retired last year after playing 306 games for the Tigers, will fly north "once or twice a month", and will also join the team for their Melbourne games.

Swann said football boss Danny Daly, an assistant at Punt Road until moving to Brisbane in 2014, was behind the move.

"Everyone's looking for a little advantage, and hopefully with his input ... he can pass on some good advice to our leaders," Swann said.

"He's a three-time premiership-winning captain, so he knows what it takes to win.

"His role is to get us from nearly there to there."

The Lions were pipped by four points in a classic grand final loss to Collingwood last season.

"We think we're in good shape," Swann said.

"There's a lot of hunger there. We've had a taste (of playing in grand final), and I think these guys want to have another taste, but be holding the (premiership) cup up at the end, but there's a long way to go."

Friday's Gabba clash, a replay of last season's preliminary final, is expected to be a sell-out.

Irish defender Conor McKenna will miss the game after straining his hamstring in an intra-club fixture last month, but he was running on Tuesday and is expected to be available to face Fremantle next week in Perth.