Gold Coast defender Campbell Brown intends to impose his physical presence at the first opportunity in the historical AFL clash with Carlton at the Gabba on Saturday night as an example for his emerging teammates to follow.

Brown took the same approach into the Suns' opening NAB Cup clash with Sydney.

As part of his leadership role, Brown said he had to set a high standard for the younger players and being hard at the ball and physically imposing in defence was the least he could do.

"It was pretty important (being physical in the NAB Cup) as we knew the whole football world would be watching and you only make a good first impression once," Brown said.

"It's the way I like to play anyway.

"I don't go out of my way to do it, but if the ball's there and you can make a bit of an impact then you go ahead and do that."

Brown said several young players have already shown their ability to get hot and heavy in the clinches.

Last year's No.1 draft pick David Swallow, solidly built midfielder Maverick Weller and key forward Charlie Dixon may have never played an AFL match, but Brown said they are well advanced in the physical side of their game.

After playing the opening NAB Cup round, Brown sat out the rest of the pre-season matches to allow a minor shoulder injury to fully recover.

The 27-year-old competed in an intra-club match last Friday and said the opening-round bye had worked in his favour.

"The shoulder is fine, it's been wrapped in cotton wool the last couple of weeks and I'm getting a bit of strength back into it," Brown said.

"It was very minor, but with a month and a bye in round one it was a good chance to give it four or five weeks to get my strength back into it."

Besides being recruited from Hawthorn as a defensive pillar, Brown has also become the media anchorman for the Suns.

He regularly steps up to the microphone ahead of skipper Gary Ablett who was absent during the pre-season because of niggling injuries and still has not officially been seen in the Suns' colours.

"I like doing a little bit of media and that kind of stuff, so from that regard it works well because Gary is a little bit more shy than I am," Brown said.

"A lot of people say he (Ablett) hasn't been seen a lot, but he certainly has been at the footy club.

"It's been unfortunate he's had a couple of injuries that have set him back and he hasn't been out there playing the role on the field that we all wanted but he certainly has been off the field."

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