The Gold Coast SUNS will have to match the Western Bulldog’s high-energy and competitiveness around the football if they are to give themselves any chance of winning against the contested football specialists, according to senior coach Guy McKenna.

It’s as simple as black and white for the dual-premiership defender, who says his top 22 will have to sustain the Bulldog’s high intensity from the opening bounce to ensure they give themselves every opportunity to secure their first back-to-back victories for 2013.

“Their contested football, tackles and clearance work is exceptional and so it should be with the list they have got and the players there going to put out there,” said McKenna.

“So we have to match that, or better it, and if we better it and use the ball better than them then we gives ourselves a good chance of winning.”

With the spirited Bulldogs having faced five 2012 finalist’s in Geelong, West Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide and North Melbourne throughout the opening seven premiership rounds, McKenna was full of praise for this weekend’s interstate visitors.  

“I think you have to put a line through who they have played as well, they have been more than competitive in those games and their numbers show they have been quite high,” McKenna said.

While a healthy mix of veterans and emerging stars complimenting their playing group, McKenna said his ball-winners would need to turn up the heat around the centre circle in a bid to control the tempo of the contest.

“We understand the Bulldogs boast the likes of Adam Cooney, Matthew Boyd and Nick Lower,” McKenna said.

“They have some serious muscle in and around the stoppages, and their very highly rated in that area as well.

“(But) that’s certainly an area of our game which has allowed us to get back in and compete for longer, with Matthew Primus and Andy Lovell having done a fantastic job as far as scoring from our stoppages… so we understand that we have our hands full this week.”

With the “Family Day” clash between the GC SUNS and the Bulldogs marking the 23rd match played at Metricon Stadium, McKenna says he’s to beginning to see signs the Gold Coast’s home of AFL is on course towards establishing one of the most feared fortresses in the national competition.

“Every club likes to make their home a fortress and having been at West Coast it was a lot easier to defend our home ground because of the four-hour flight,” McKenna.

But McKenna concedes his charges will need to constantly back up their efforts against quality AFL opposition to put themselves in a position of achieving significant home-ground advantage.

“Whether you playing at home, or wherever you’re playing, it doesn’t matter – it comes down to executing your fundamentals and basics better than your opponent, and if you do that consistently you make your home ground your fortress.”