Senior Coach Brendan McCartney is confident the Western Bulldogs can come away with the four points on Saturday against Gold Coast if they take the game on and compete for longer.

The two sides’ boast a comparable age profile in recent weeks, with Gold Coast fielding seven players with under 30 games experience last weekend, while the Bulldogs had six.

“We’ve got a game this week where… it probably does stack up quite equal,” McCartney said.

“We were age wise quite well stocked last week with experience too, but we also still had our 12 or 13 young fellas who are still very much learning the game and getting on top of it.

“It’s a great opportunity for us, we’re where we are at on the ladder because of a difficult draw which we can’t control, we’ve had some injuries to some key, experienced, talented players which we can and can’t control but what we can control is how we play.

“We are really looking forward to the opportunity to play the way we did last week, and have at times during the year, for longer.”

The comparable age profile of the two emerging sides points to a fierce on field battle, with a much improved Gold Coast side benefiting from a less daunting draw in the first seven rounds.

While the Suns have lined up against just two of last year’s finalists, the Bulldogs have faced five in Geelong, West Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide and North Melbourne.

McCartney said Gold Coast’s increased form is the result of their improvement around the ball and their young brigade’s growing ability to adjust to the tempo and requirements of senior football after three years in the system.

Last week, Melbourne Senior Coach Mark Neeld said his team could not combat the Suns’ physicality in their 60 point loss but McCartney believes his side is well equipped to contend with Gold Coast’s harder edge.

“We will be ok with it I think, but they have improved significantly, in all those area’s they have hardened up really well around the ball and they are hanging onto the ball a little bit better,” he said.

“They are actually learning and dealing with the tempo of the game and the things that are important in building the game around they are coming along really well.

“You have to remember they’ve still got [in] almost every line… two people who were taken early in the national draft, so we know we are playing a talented young team and we are going to have to play well to get the result.”