AHEAD of just their fifth ever meeting, Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna says the duel between his Suns and Greater Western Sydney should be the pre-eminent rivalry in the AFL over the next decade.

The Suns joined the competition in 2011 and the Giants 12 months later, and while both battled in their initial years, the two clubs are slowly showing signs of turning the corner.

Currently Geelong and Hawthorn is the most mouth-watering matchup in the League, but McKenna believes the Suns v Giants clash has a chance to take the baton.

With so many early draft picks afforded to both clubs in their list-build stage, he says the individual match-ups could carry the contests to great heights.

"Back in the West Coast days (where McKenna played in two premierships), you had Glen Jakovich coming through as an elite centre half-back and Wayne Carey had emerged as an elite centre half-forward. And you knew the Jakovich-Carey match-up would be there for 10-15 years," McKenna said on Friday.

"Clearly with the two expansion clubs there's Rory Thompson versus Jeremy Cameron … (Jonathan) Patton and (Steven) May and the list goes on.

"Instead of one or two in a rivalry like Hawthorn and Geelong, we’ll probably have 10 to 12 over the course of the next 10 years."

Although McKenna said the "tyranny of distance" would limit the rivalry to some extent, the quality of personnel should overcome that.

He even matches against the Giants were likely to surpass the QClash against neighbouring Queensland club the Brisbane Lions in importance.

"They're the same age group as a lot of kids playing down there (GWS), a lot of good mates with our footy club, tall young forwards versus our tall young forwards.

"I just think the rivalry, because of the individual match-ups, are going to be there for the next 10-15 years."

After losing the first match against the Giants in Canberra in 2012, the Suns have won the past three convincingly.

Harley Bennell (calf) will play his first match since the pre-season in the reserves on Saturday, while hulking forward Charlie Dixon (groin) will also return through the two after a month out.

Twitter: @AFL_mikewhiting