There’s more to the Gold Coast Suns than Gary Ablett according to Senior Coach Brendan McCartney, citing the depth of high-end talent in their midfield as an area to watch.

While Ablett looks destined to spend this week on the sidelines, McCartney and his team are gearing up for a strong showing in the Cairns heat.

Watching the Suns’ willing themselves over the line against Collingwood last week McCartney said the Suns have graduated from being dependant solely on Ablett’s influence.

“We kept him [Ablett] pretty quiet last time, he only had eight or nine touches at half time and they still beat us pretty easily,” McCartney said.

“Not for one second do we think that Gold Coast without their best player are going to be any easier to play against.”

Currently leading the competition in clearances and ranked second in contested possessions, the Suns have also shown a strong ability to keep the ball off their opponents — areas McCartney has at the top of mind.

“I think we all, not so much envy, but certainly appreciate the talent and quality they have in the middle of the ground,” he said.

“Statistically they are still very good if they are able to get their stoppages right and get the ball moving, so they are still going to be a significant challenge.”

McCartney said the midfield battle will be telling when the two sides face off on Saturday and he expects the Bulldogs to put in a spirited performance.  

“We are going up there with a plan and they still have some other fantastic young players that really know how to play – as we do, we’ve got some brilliant young midfielders too,” he said.

“I am looking forward to the match up, looking forward to the opportunity.”