NOT knowing if the chance would ever come again has fuelled Victorian captain Jonathan Brown's desire to pull on a big V jumper at the MCG.

After being forced out of last weekend's match against Geelong, the 26-year-old said he was "100% confident" he had overcome quadriceps soreness and was "right to go" in the Hall of Fame tribute match against the Dream Team.

"If I was playing for Brisbane, I'd be playing, so I'm very keen to go," he said.

Brown and coach Mark Thompson both agreed that the prospect of matching up against the best players in the AFL had built a bond between the Victorian representatives.

"The best players are geared up, motivated, and you can sense they're feeling something special," Thompson said.

"I think that's why there is so much excitement," Brown added. "We're not sure if it will ever happen again."

Brown, the boy from Warrnambool who was drafted by the Brisbane Lions in 1999 under the father-and-son rule, has long dreamt of coming home to play for Victoria.

He said the match was a fantastic opportunity to "challenge ourselves against the best"; reputations could be built on or eroded by the time of the final siren.

"The guys have got a lot of personal pride on the line, not only playing for your state, but playing against the best," he said.

"You want to walk off the ground and say you played well.

"There is extra pressure out there, no doubt , and it's how guys cope with that pressure in the build-up to the game and throughout the game (that will count)."

Injury ruled out Geelong star Gary Ablett during the week. Western Bulldogs skipper Brad Johnson and St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo yesterday succumbed to injury. But Brown dismissed speculation over his own fitness.

"If you can kick goals from 55 (metres), there's nothing too much wrong with your quad," he said. "I've done my fitness test and pulled up well, so I'll be there."

Joining him in the Victorian leadership group are Carlton skipper Chris Judd, Sydney Swans dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes, Hawthorn skipper Sam Mitchell and Geelong full-back Matthew Scarlett.

"It's been great to be involved with the leadership group … great to be involved with those boys and get to know them," Brown said.

"We've spoken about how important it is to wear the big V, how important it is to honour that tradition and to carry on the proud tradition of all the great players who have worn it before us.

"We need to make ourselves proud and have the supporters walk away feeling proud about their state."

The three-time premiership player rated state selection as "just a rung below playing in grand finals" and said the build-up this week was similar to grand final week.

"Nothing beats a club premiership, no doubt about that, but this is a huge honour to play in this game.

"It's a significant achievement for all the players in the game and we'll be playing with that same (grand final) intensity."

Thompson, too, said he expects the match to be played with a finals-like intensity.

"I've got no doubts it will be a really hard ball to win and we know it will be a finals-like atmosphere, as far as intensity and speed and skill (go)," he said.