For most other AFL players, alarm bells would probably be ringing right now.

But big money Gold Coast Suns recruit Jared Brennan admits entering an AFL season without a practice match is business as usual.

Injury-plagued Brennan's preparation for most of his eight seasons at the Brisbane Lions - and nothing is different ahead of his debut for the Suns.

Nursing an ankle complaint, Brennan will head into the Suns' debut AFL season without playing a trial - not that it fazes him.

While much has been made over Suns captain Gary Ablett not playing a game ahead of the Gold Coast's season opener against Carlton in round two on April 2, Brennan shrugs off his lack of match practice.

"I am not sure if I have ever gone through a full pre-season," Brennan laughed.

"I get operated on at the end of most seasons which has prevented me from playing pre-season games.

"I will play an intra-club match before round two and I would have only played one pre-season game last year and started that pretty well.

"I am probably a few kilos lighter than last year as well so I am a bit fitter and hopefully that will keep me in good stead for the season start."

Reportedly the second-highest paid Suns player behind Ablett on $700,000-a-year, Brennan was more than confident of proving his worth for his new club despite emerging from an injury cloud.

Brennan even claimed he could have played their final official pre-season clash against arch rivals Brisbane Lions at Southport last weekend.

"I am ready to go. I should have played on the weekend but obviously I didn't - the conditioning staff held me back a bit," he said.

"I have been training fairly fiercely the last few weeks.

"I have been doing a lot of contested work so it is not like I haven't had bodies against me."

Brennan said he would feature in the same intra-club match that Ablett would make his Suns debut in next weekend.

The spotlight will be on Brennan and another ex-Lion Michael Rischitelli when they run out in Suns colours in their round seven clash against their former club on May 7 at the Gabba.

But Brennan already admitted to feeling "nervous" about lining up against his ex-club after watching from the sidelines in the Suns' 67-point trial loss to the Lions on the weekend.

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