JOHN Noble says it's just another game and his coach Damien Hardwick expects nothing out of the ordinary from his dashing half-back against Collingwood on Friday night.
For the first time since leaving the Magpies last October, Noble will line up against his former club in the sold-out blockbuster at People First Stadium.
Following 112 games in the black-and-white, Noble was part of a mega three-team trade that saw him move to Gold Coast, Jack Lukosius to Port Adelaide and Dan Houston to Collingwood.
Noble forged a fantastic career with the Magpies but was the hard-luck story of the 2023 premiership team, being left out ahead of finals despite playing every game in the home and away season.
He moved north to not only be closer to family, but play a significant role in a team on the rise.
"I've just thrown everything into the club, the players and the staff," Noble told AFL.com.au.
"It almost feels like getting drafted again … you've got to earn the respect of everyone in the business.
"Building new relationships and finding your core friends and things like that takes the distraction away and you can move on freely.
"I'm loving my footy, I'm loving living here and I love the club, they've been super welcoming for me and my family. It hasn't been too difficult at all."
The 28-year-old has been one of the Suns' best players in 2025, combining beautifully with fellow recruit Daniel Rioli at half-back.
Sitting just inside the top eight with a 10-5 record, Collingwood presents the perfect test of Gold Coast's progression.
Noble was not buying into the contest having any extra meaning for him.
"I'm just treating it like another game," he said.
"Obviously, there's history there, but I'm not too focused on that at all. It's more just a really good challenge for us as a club.
"I've got some lifelong friends at Collingwood and we keep in touch."
Hardwick was pragmatic when asked about the emotions his defender might feel.
"He doesn't need to do anything more or anything less," he said.
"He's had a terrific season for us, thus far.
"He'll probably have an element of nerves, there's no question about that, every player that plays against their former side does, but our expectation is he just goes to work, concentrates on his core actions and gets the job done.
"He's done it thus far, he'll do it again."
Noble described the Magpies as a "well-oiled machine" with a lot of smart players that knew how to execute their roles.
"It'll be challenging for us. It'll be a finals-type game, a lot of pressure, a lot of external noise built up about it," he said.
"We've got to be calm and composed throughout the game with ball in hand and without it. We've just got to play our system. We've proven it works.
"We want these occasions. We want to be part of these big games. We want to play finals and win flags.
"We're hungry for those opportunities and one presents itself on Friday against Collingwood.
"It'll be a really good test for our club and our younger boys to be exposed to that sort of environment. It's going to be cool to see what we can do."
