GOLD Coast's defence looks horribly undersized against North Melbourne's tall targets, but Suns coach Rodney Eade is confident they can thrive.
With key pillars Steven May (suspended) and Rory Thompson (ankle) unavailable, Gold Coast will have to be creative and work harder than their opposition at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.
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Sam Day (196cm) and Clay Cameron (191cm) have both reverted to the backline after starting the season forward, while Trent McKenzie (190cm) has returned from a fractured cheekbone.
They will line up against the potent Kangaroos trio of Drew Petrie (197cm), Jarrad Waite (194cm) and Ben Brown (200cm).
Eade said it was a difficult task, but one West Coast proved last year was far from insurmountable, when it made the Grand Final after losing Eric Mackenzie and Mitch Brown to knee injuries prior to the season.
Eade hoped the Suns could even use their pace going the other way to trouble the unbeaten Kangaroos.
"I think you've got to play to your assets," he said.
"There's two ways to go: do we go really defensive and get numbers back or do we back our assets and make it a bit of a shootout?
"That's something we've got to weigh up.
"Maybe we'll get some numbers back to support our defence and maybe get them on the slingshot the other way.
"We certainly need to help our defence, there's no doubt about that."
The dilemma highlights a bigger problem at the Suns – they don't have enough depth among key defenders.
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"That's the one area we don't have a lot of depth," Eade said.
"We have the two key backs but not a lot underneath. If there was one area we couldn't get injuries it was that area, which now exposes us a bit."
Eade said the old adage of the game being won in the midfield was never more true, with his team needing to win the ball or at least prevent it from going cleanly into North's forward 50.
Even his midfield has taken a hit with Dion Prestia ruled out with a virus that has swept through the team in the past week.
The game will also mark Eade's 600th as a player and coach.
He won four premierships with Hawthorn in his 259 games as a player (30 of which were with the Brisbane Bears), and has coached the Sydney Swans, Western Bulldogs and now the Suns.
