GOLD Coast youngster Jack Martin has ramped up his rehabilitation from a shoulder injury with a strong running session at Metricon Stadium on Wednesday morning.
Martin suffered extensive damage to the AC joint in his left shoulder during the first quarter of his debut against Richmond in round one, and is expected to miss another three months following surgery.
However, after resuming on the exercise bike recently, he took another step by jogging laps and then completing some run-throughs while his teammates underwent their main training session.
Gold Coast plays Greater Western Sydney on Saturday, and despite the
widespread comparisons since the two clubs were created, midfielder Jarrod Harbrow says playing GWS these days is like playing any other opponent.
But he said the Suns would still like to stamp their authority over the fellow expansion club with a fourth straight win at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.
Since the Suns entered the AFL in 2011 and the Giants in 2012, pundits have compared their progress in the race to a premiership.
Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna said the first team to win a flag would be justified in the path it had taken to build a list and a club.
After losing their inaugural clash in Canberra in 2012, the Suns have reeled off three straight, but Harbrow said any rivalry was built up from the outside only.
"Year by year now, I think it's slowly becoming just another opposition for us," he said.
"Obviously being the newer clubs in the competition, we'd like to stamp our mark on them.
"We're growing as a football team … and I'm sure they want to make their mark not just on us, but the rest of the competition."
Gold Coast is inside the top eight after five rounds with a 3-2 record, while the Giants already have matched their best season haul with two wins in the opening five weeks.
Both clubs are littered with high draft picks and Harbrow says the days of pencilling in a win against the Giants are long gone.
"They played the Swans in round one, and have proven if they're on their game they can match it with anyone.
"They can come out and absolutely give it to us in the first quarter and we'll be on the back foot from the start.
"We'll attack them as if we would any other team."
Harbrow said with in-form defenders Rory Thompson and Steven May, the Suns had the firepower to match boom Giants forwards Jeremy Cameron and Jonathan Patton.
Small defender Greg Broughton believed the game would be won further upfield, with the Giants ranked second in the competition in clearances and the Suns third.
"We're a clearance team as well. We'll take it up to them, hopefully get on top and get it inside our forward 50 and lock it in there."
Twitter: @AFL_mikewhiting
