Lethal: Time against Lappin

Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews says veteran midfielder Nigel Lappin is running out of time to be part of the Lions' finals push due to his debilitating achilles injury.

The 32-year-old has not played since Round 4 after having also missed all of the 2006 season due to a severe ankle injury.

Matthews said on Monday that Lappin's achilles injury was simply not improving although the Lions - who with eight games remaining are in strong contention to play in their first final series since 2004 - had not given up hope of him playing again this season just yet.

"Nigel is in that frustrating time where nothing seems to be improving greatly and it's a very difficult time for Nigel," Matthews said on Monday.

"We are obviously deprived of his talents and that doesn't help the team but it's a very frustrating time when you have an injury that doesn't seem to have a time frame (in terms of a return date)."

Matthews said such was the nature of the 2004 best-and-fairest winner's injury that the Lions' medical staff has not been able to diagnosis the cause of the problem.

"It doesn't seem to be getting better and no one is quite sure of the exact nature of the injury," he said.

"It's a nerve thing meaning he is showing different symptoms at different times and that is frustrating for Nigel and frustrating for the medical staff because it's not getting better."

However Matthews said the Lions had not yet considered pulling the pin on the triple premiership winning midfielder's season.

"He will try and push through but what the weeks hold for Nigel at the moment is uncertain because it's already been a long time since he has played," Matthews said.

"(But) it's not my decision (whether to tell Lappin his season is over) - it's Nigel's and the medical people."

"If the medical people say it needs six months off they will say so but no one has made that call."