Gold Coast defender Jarrod Harbrow clearly remembers the reception his ex-Western Bulldogs' teammate Jason Akermanis received from a hostile crowd when he first returned to play against former club Brisbane at the Gabba.

The tables have turned for Harbrow who will have to walk in Akermanis' footsteps as a defector when the Suns meet the Western Bulldogs on Saturday at Etihad Stadium.

Harbrow, 22, played 70 games for the Dogs between 2007-10 before signing with the Suns' as an uncontracted player.

He said he expected Bulldogs fans and some players to hurl abuse when he takes the field against his former club, but not to the extent Akermanis received from Lions players and spectators.

"I'm not quite sure of the reception I'm going to get but it will just be another game," Harbrow told AAP.

"There will be a little rivalry in the first couple of minutes of the game, there always is.

"Every player goes through it.

"I was part of that (game when Akermanis played against the Lions), but me and Aker are different type of people and I'm not sure that I'll get the type of reception he got.

"They'll start early and then fade off during the game."

The Suns' AFL debut was anything but bright with the fledgling club losing by 119 points to Carlton at the Gabba on Saturday night.

The loss though has done little to take the gloss off the lifestyle Harbrow leads, having moved from Melbourne's western suburbs to the sunny and warm streets of the Gold Coast.

There's also the mental escape from AFL in south-east Queensland where surfing, sand and sun have a more prominent role in people's lives than an oval-shaped ball game.

"It's a really good lifestyle up here," Harbrow said.

"Melbourne is really full on when it comes to football. It's in your head 24/7 down there.

"You see more skateboards and bikes up here.

"I'm just getting into some body boarding now - you couldn't do that in Port Phillip Bay."

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