THE WESTERN Bulldogs will back its undersized defence against Gold Coast's imposing forward line in Cairns on Saturday night.
The finals-bound Dogs boast the League's stingiest backline with versatile All Australians Easton Wood and Dale Morris complemented by developing key defender Fletcher Roberts and a host of fleet-footed playmakers.
Bulldogs assistant Steven King is confident the club's "back six or seven" will be able contain the Suns’ imposing triple-threat of Tom Lynch, Peter Wright and Sam Day.
He said the Dogs weren't tempted to play travelling emergency and key defender Kieran Collins to combat the in-form trio.
"We'll go in as selected (because) we have great faith in our backline because they play as a unit together," King said.
"Wright, Tommy Lynch and even Day have been great form and marking the footy.
'We've just got to stop the ball getting in there, but I'm really confident with the systems our (backline coach) Rohan Smith has got the boys playing.
"Hopefully we can bring the ball to ground and pose a threat going the other way."
While the Suns have a fit and firing attack, their midfield has been severely depleted by injuries to skipper Gary Ablett, Dion Prestia and Michael Rischitelli.
As midfield coach, King has a great understanding of the Suns’ midfield depth and has predicted his impressive group of young on-ballers will be in for a tough night.
"They've still got a lot of talent – both athletically and from a football sense," King said.
"(Aaron) Hall has been in great form, Touk Miller was in ripping form last week, and they've bought in Hallahan and Lonergan who are both big-bodied mids.
"I think (Jack) Martin will probably get a look in there because he's an exceptional talent as well.
"They can all play at the (highest) level and we're expecting a fierce contest."
King, a ruckman in Geelong's 2007 premiership triumph, is excited at Tom Boyd's return to the senior side following the forward’s much-publicised club-imposed suspension, and is looking forward to the combination the No.1 draft pick will form with the versatile Jordan Roughead.
"Tom comes in because we need that presence up forward and in the ruck, so I think he's going to help us a lot," King said.
"I know the boys are really keen to have Tom back in the team, and I think him and 'Roughy' can combine really strongly.
"They're both capable up forward, we like their athleticism in the ruck and the way they follow up at ground level."
Saturday night's clash will mark the third-year running the Dogs have hosted Gold Coast at Cazaly's Stadium, and a third-straight win against the Suns in north Queensland will see Luke Beveridge's men consolidate a top-four spot.
After watching Friday night's classic between the Sydney Swans and Hawthorn, King acknowledged just how hotly contested a top-four spot would be this year, and that the Dogs couldn't be complacent against an under–strength Suns outfit.
"(Last night's result) shows how even the year is, because Sydney can fall to seventh after this round," he said.
"We know that we've just got to keep taking each week as it comes and play our best footy
"We'd love to make the top-four and give ourselves the best opportunity, so we know we can't take our foot off the pedal, because it's such an even competition."
