Martin on the run as Suns ready for Giants

Accustomed to some enormous occasions during his nine seasons as a Magpie, Shaw admitted he wasn't sure what to expect on Saturday in a rivalry between expansion clubs that was just getting off the ground.

"It's all new for me," Shaw said on Wednesday.

"Obviously Anzac Day on Friday, that's usually a massive game and one you usually pencil in to want to play.

"So now I'm going to have to change the schedule and pencil in the Gold Coast and obviously (games against) Sydney as well.

"It seems like there's the Sydney rivalry against the Swans and this is a new expansion club. I think there's a bit of a rivalry there.

"But I'll see how I go on Saturday when I'm out there.

"Hopefully we can get one over them. If we do everything right, we'll give ourselves a big chance."

The two expansion clubs are regularly compared to each other, with the Suns entering the competition in 2011 and GWS the following year.

Gold Coast won three matches in each of its first two years in the AFL, jumping to eight wins last season and is now in the top eight with a 3-2 record.

The Giants, meanwhile, picked up two victories in their debut season and just one last year, but have started with two wins in five matches in 2014.

Shaw was asked if games against the Suns were the ideal test for his young club at this stage of its development.

"I think so," he said. "You look at where they've come from, and we want to follow their program.

"They've progressed every year and improved every year and we definitely want to do that.

"They're a good team; they've knocked off some finals contenders last year and coming into this year, so they're in good form and it's a great test for us."

Coming off a 65-point loss to Adelaide, the Giants should have some more help at hand this week, with Shaw, Callan Ward (concussion) and Dylan Shiel (quad) all available for selection.

GWS paid for a poor second term against the Crows, when it gave up seven goals to one, but coach Leon Cameron still found some positives.

The Giants' previous two matches against Adelaide had resulted losses by 119 and 135 points.

This time they were at least able to stem the bleeding and largely match the Crows after half-time.

Overall, GWS is conceding 91 points per game this season, a vast improvement on the 135 points per game of a year ago.

"Our third-year players are a year older and play better defence one-on-one," Cameron said.

"We have experience in our back half and our midfielders are starting to understand a bit better about transition footy.

"It was disappointing that 40 minutes of footy against Adelaide, they really scored heavily, but this time last year it would've really blown out.

"I was really pleased we hung in there under trying circumstances with some of our leaders out.

"I think overall our players are understanding they can defend a bit better."

Twitter: @AFL_JD