The dawn of a new AFL season always brings with it a mix of emotions.

For those with an investment in our great game, excitement, hope and anticipation are just a few of the sentiments experienced at the beginning of a new season.

Gold Coast SUNS coach Rodney Eade has been in this business a long time. His VFL debut came 40 years ago and he’s been in the coaching caper since 1991.

With that experience behind him, you’d expect the veteran mentor to be relaxed as he enters another campaign, well versed in what’s involved in preparing for another football season and the trials and tribulations that go along with it.

Eade admitted to feeling slightly anxious on the eve of round one, however trusts the hard work put in by his troops over the pre-season places them in the best position possible to bring home the four points on Saturday.

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“I suppose feeling a bit of anxiousness. Obviously first game, I think every team will be like that,” Eade told United Coaches Chat on Thursday afternoon.

“I know it’s the same four points you get at round 16 or round one but certainly would like to get off to a good start.

“We’ve been reasonably pleased with our pre-season. The way the players have trained, our NAB Cup form and what we’ve got out of that.

“We’ve got 40-odd players available which is great, last year we probably had about 28 at this stage so I think we’re ahead of the curve now compared to previous years but the proof’s in the pudding and hopefully we can play well.”

Essendon are one of the competition’s big unknowns this year, their list decimated after a WADA appeal was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in January.

Although the Bombers will be without the likes of Jobe Watson, Dyson Heppell and Michael Hurley for the 2016 season, they’ve replaced them with experienced players that have tasted September success.

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Eade reaffirmed the SUNS would be giving their round one opponent the utmost level of respect on Saturday and it won’t be an easy game for his side.

“They’ve got a lot of pride as a football club. Players they’ve brought in have got good experience with premierships and grand final experience,” he said.

“Obviously their captain (Brendon Goddard) as well has been involved in grand finals so they’ve got a reasonably good side on paper to be honest.

“I think they’ve recruited well. It’s going to be a tough game.”