BRISBANE must attack more from its defensive half if it is to climb the ladder in 2019, coach Chris Fagan says.

And that can happen in a couple of different ways.

It's no secret the Lions are trying to develop a run-and-carry player to take the game on from the back 50, and Fagan says he also wants defenders to start going for their marks.

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"We'd like to see some of our tall backs that have been great spoilers turn into intercept markers," Fagan told AFL.com.au.

"I think the best teams in the comp are in the top four or five for intercept marks – it's an important statistic in football.

"A lot of spoils we got could have been marks, and we need to change that mindset."

The number one man in this category is All Australian squad member Harris Andrews, who is fresh off a fantastic 2018.

The lanky Queenslander, ranked third in the competition for one percenters, met with Fagan at the end of last season to discuss where he could improve.

"We saw in the Grand Final with Jeremy McGovern coming across and taking marks and winning he ball back for his team the value that bought, that's something I need to do to keep evolving my game," Andrews said.

"There's going to be times when I make the wrong decision, maybe sometimes I should spoil and sometimes I should mark, but I'll try and limit those errors as much as I can."

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Andrews isn't the only one in that part of the ground that can mark, with Western Bulldogs recruit Marcus Adams, Josh Walker and even Darcy Gardiner capable of doing so.

Fagan's other area of interest in defence is speed.

"I think we've got some boys that can play that role," he said.

"(Alex) Witherden has got the capacity to run, Daniel Rich can do it, we saw Zac Bailey do it, Cedric Cox, (draftee) Noah Answerth looks a natural at half-back.

"It's just a matter of experimenting with our list of players and seeing who can play there."

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Bailey was tried there in the final two games of last season and has been used there during patches of the pre-season.

Cox is another who has played fleetingly at half-back in his short career and looks to have improved during the pre-season.

After five wins in each of his first two seasons, Fagan said Brisbane could now focus on improving the "micro" elements of their game, rather than the macro.

He said contested ball still needed work, as does their delivery inside 50.

"We've enjoyed and celebrated the fact there's a lot more respect for us than there was two years ago," he said.

"We're also mindful … the players know we only won five games last year, albeit our percentage was much better and we were really close to winning more than five games, but the reality is that's all we've done.

"We've got a lot of work in front of us to improve."