Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew is confident co-captain Jarrod Witts can handle the burden of facing West Coast’s Nic Naitanui in Sunday’s AFL season opener.

Witts will be the Suns’ only fit specialist ruckman when they head west to face the Eagles in the round one clash at Optus Stadium.

Zac Smith is recovering from a knee ligament strain and unlikely to feature for at least another month while youngster Matt Conroy’s season is over after suffering an ACL injury last Friday.

It means the onus will be firmly on 28-year-old Witts’ shoulders to win the ruck battle against Eagles superstar Naitanui.

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“He always looks forward to the big challenges. The bigger the challenge, he likes to try and assert himself on the game,” Dew said of Witts.

“Obviously Nic is an outstanding centre bounce player and around the ground he’s different.

“He can follow up like a midfielder but Wittsy we’ll back that he’ll, across the course of the game, be really consistent for us.

“That’s all we’re asking from him, just be consistent, give our guys as good a use as he can and try and dictate where that ball goes.”

The Suns put on one of their best displays last year against the Eagles, snapping a 19-game losing streak with an upset 44-points win at Metricon Stadium in June.

That victory was notable as teenage sensation Matt Rowell was best on ground in just his second AFL appearance, against an Eagles’ midfield boasting Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo.

Rowell is set to feature for the first time since his season-ending shoulder injury against Geelong in round five last year, with mercurial small forward Izak Rankine (ankle) also cleared to play.

The Suns head to Perth having never beaten the Eagles on the road, losing all eight clashes to them in WA.

“We’re picking a side that we think can beat any opposition but it’s a new year, they’ll be more prepared, no doubt,” Dew said.

“We probably snuck under their radar at the start of last year, so we’re under no illusion that there’ll be a far greater proposition this time around.”