Gold Coast’s midfield will have to pay close attention to the defensive side of the game when it comes up against Collingwood’s array of goalkicking mids on Saturday, according to defender Steven May.

May is fully aware of the dangers his side faces in the forward 50, including the threat of big man Travis Cloke.

While they haven’t been as prolific in front of goal this season as they were back in 2011 when they last won the minor premiership and played in a grand final, Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury and, in particular, Dayne Beams, all have the ability to make an impact on the scoreboard.

Last week against Carlton, the Magpies just got one major in total out of their main threats up forward: Cloke, Jamie Elliott and Jesse White. It didn’t matter in the end as Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Luke Ball all chipped in with two goals to keep the Blues at bay.

May told AFL 360 last night that his team’s midfield group had worked hard running both ways this season to quell the attacking threat from their direct opponents.

Our young mids have been coached very well to run both ways,” May said. “But not only by the coaches, they’re very hard on each other.

“With the likes of Swan, Pendlebury, they’ve got a whole lot of guys at Collingwood who can spit forward and kick goals.

“In recent weeks, the (SUNS) midfielders have done a great job running both ways.”

Gold Coast is no slouch in this area, either, with Gary Ablett and David Swallow both in double figures for goals kicked this season.

Midfielder Dion Prestia has seven majors to his name this campaign, and told AFL 360 this Saturday’s game was an ideal test of his team’s finals credentials.

“It’s obviously massive,” Prestia said.

“To play Collingwood on our home deck, I don’t think we could ask for a better game to see where we actually stand in the eight and how we can attack the rest of the year.”

While September action is within reach, Prestia said the team hadn’t looked too far ahead in its schedule.

“Obviously you’ve got to go one week at a time, the old cliché, but Collingwood’s a pretty big task this week.

“We’ll get this game done, and hopefully we can win, then move on to the next couple of games.

“Obviously finals is our goal in the end, but you can’t be looking at it, yet.”