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AAP
AAP
Sport
Steve Larkin

Gold Coast hold no AFL fears, says fit-again Miller

Gold Coast co-captain Touk Miller says he's a certain starter for the premiership season while boldly declaring the Suns hold no fear about any AFL opponent.

Miller didn't play a pre-season game because of a hamstring strain but says he'll face Sydney in round one on March 18.

"If we were playing (a premiership game) the weekend just gone, I would have played," Miller told AAP on Monday.

"I trained on Saturday really well ... I'm super-happy, in a really good spot."

The Suns play last year's beaten grand finalists Sydney and premiers Geelong in their opening three rounds amid a torrid early schedule.

"The two grand finalists in the first three rounds is probably going to give you a definite idea of where you sit," Miller said.

"For us, the main thing is we're not scared or concerned about any teams any more.

"Every single team, we're confident we can knock off and we feel that inside the four walls, we're going in with a winning mindset."

Gold Coast also meet finalists from last year Fremantle, Richmond, Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions in their initial 10 rounds in a season where the Suns carry wide expectations of making the finals for the first time.

"It would be silly not to take in some of that outside noise because that pressure can be good for us," Miller said.

"Our expectations are ... to play in the finals, that is definitely our ultimate goal this year and we are feeling very confident.

"We just keep evolving as a club and as a playing group so the more games we get in together, the better we are going to get and the faster we will grow.

"As long as we stay healthy and we keep playing our brand of football, we're probably going to see some results."

Similarly, Miller said he was personally thriving on his elevation to be among the competition's elite midfielders.

The 27-year-old, who last year was top-five in the league for contested possessions and clearances while earning consecutive All Australian jumpers, acknowledged he was now a target for opposition teams.

"I'm not silly. I do know that I will probably be in the gun with quite a few teams but that's OK ... I'm prepared for it," he said.

"If I'm a target, that just gives a chance for some other boys to get off the chain and do well."

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