On paper it's a mismatch, the current league leaders and 2012 runners-up against the upstart expansion club who have just won back-to-back matches for the first time in their history.
But McKenna sees it as an opportunity, an "examination" as he calls it, to find out just where his Suns are on their journey.
"We won our last game at the MCG (against Melbourne in round 7), we've won two in a row, the boys are confident but certainly aware of the challenge ahead of us," McKenna said.
"I think they're ready to step up and take on that challenge.
"We've seen where the underdog can get up. We just have to compete for longer and if we do that we give ourselves a chance of winning."
Winning is not something that's yet become a habit for the Suns, but it's a far more frequent occurrence in 2013, with an even win-loss record through the first eight rounds.
McKenna said pushing his message to the players was a lot easier on the back of wins, something that only happened six times through their first two seasons.
"We're trying to emerge out of that lightweight bracket. You've seen lightweights knock over heavyweights, you've seen David and Goliath," he said.
"We understand what's ahead of us but I think we're better physically and mentally able to absorb that.
"We keep preaching as coaches about structure and balance and culture and it's hard to pedal that when you're not producing the end result, a win. Now the boys can start to see what you're talking about because they're getting a result, a win. It's encouraging for them."
Karmichael Hunt will have to wait another week to make his return from hamstring tendonitis.
It will be the third match in succession Hunt has missed, but McKenna is confident the injury will not drag on.
Michael Whiting covers Gold Coast news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_mikewhiting
