If the Brisbane Lions are the Gold Coast Suns' big brother, Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse is their father figure.

But if all goes to plan on Saturday night, AFL rookies the Suns won't be making the Magpies' mentor feel like a proud parent.

Ahead of their weekend clash on the Gold Coast, Suns' coach Guy McKenna likens Malthouse to being his footy father after spending 15 years under him as a player or assistant.

But McKenna reckons he might yet have the edge over his former master on Saturday night.

"It's a bit like your parents - you always think you'd like to mimic your parents," McKenna said of the role Malthouse played in moulding him as a coach.

"I can't be Mick but certainly a lot of my philosophies and the way you go about things (are similar to Malthouse).

"I know what he is like as a coach - but one thing he doesn't know is what I am like as a coach. That's certainly an advantage I can take into the game."

McKenna admits it will feel odd seeing Malthouse in the rival coach's box after playing under him for a decade at West Coast before being his assistant at Collingwood for another five.

"It (going up against him) is probably something I didn't want to do when I was playing for him, considering some of the messages I used to cop," McKenna laughed.

"It will certainly be an honour. I will respect it.

"But for 120 minutes on Saturday night, we will be the worst of enemies.

"I will be trying to make him angry and he will try to make me angry."

Malthouse's stamp on McKenna might be obvious but Collingwood's influence on the Suns is more far reaching.

Players Josh Fraser, Sam Iles and Danny Stanley are ex-Pies, as is McKenna's assistant coach Shane O'Bree.

And McKenna said he will be using every inch of inside information in a bid to pull off the unthinkable - an upset over the reigning premiers.

"They (ex-Pies) know their system, probably know how it can be brought down," he said.

"They understand what Mick likes and Mick doesn't like from an opposition, so we'll be using that as much as we can, but we also have to have the players to carry that out.

"If we bring the effort and attitude and structure, we give ourselves a good chance."

The Suns (3-12 record) are buzzing from last round's upset over Richmond in Cairns but the second-last Gold Coast's clash with ladder leaders Collingwood (14-1) still looks like 'Mission Impossible'.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP