Lions feel major AFL heat with Rich blow Brisbane will be forced to run their horrifying AFL gauntlet minus their most influential midfielder with vice-captain Daniel Rich ruled out for eight weeks. Scans revealed Rich broke his shoulder blade in a training collision on Wednesday in a huge blow to the struggling Lions who are already feeling the pinch in their injury-hit on-ball stocks. Just a month after they were crowned pre-season champions and looked a club on the rise, the Lions are 1-3 and coach Michael Voss is under mounting pressure. Sunday's clash with Melbourne at the Gabba is a crucial must-win for Voss as a scary eight-match run follows against legitimate top-eight contenders. They meet premiers Sydney, West Coast, Essendon, Carlton and Collingwood before their bye and then Fremantle, Geelong and Hawthorn before some respite with a second derby with Gold Coast. Rich might be due to return to play the Cats on June 23 at the Gabba but their season could well be over by then. Fellow vice-captain Tom Rockliff described Rich's injury as a massive blow to the Lions, especially with Claye Beams (knee) and Jared Polec (ankle) also sidelined, and Simon Black slowly working his way back to fitness. "Obviously he's been one of the core of the midfield group and for him to go down is disappointing for him," Rockliff said. He's a key part to our group and to not have him there for six to eight weeks is going to hurt but we've got to cover him and look at different ways to go about our business. We just have to deal with it now; you can't dwell on it so much. Rockliff called on the Lions' established players to turn the season around following their insipid 63-point loss to North Melbourne, and relieve the pressure on Voss. "The core of this group has really got to stand up now," he said. Enough's been said now. You can talk the talk but we haven't walked the walk. It comes down to the senior group and the core 10, 12 blokes out there on the weekend. It's for us to lead the way and those younger blokes to follow - not us follow them. Rockliff admitted the players felt the burden of delivering for their coach, who is off contract at the end of the season. "You feel for him a little bit; it's not so much his doing," he said. We're the ones that go out there and perform on the big stage. Unfortunately at the moment, we're not standing up to that.