Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has accused Gold Coast counterpart Rodney Eade of trying to influence umpires ahead of Saturday's AFL Queensland derby.
Eade has said he wants to speak to umpires ahead of the round one clash at Metricon Stadium to air his concerns over how Lions defender Harris Andrews deals with Suns' forward Tom Lynch.
Eade feels Andrews bends the rules to contain spearhead Lynch, claiming the Lion had put his co-captain in a "sleeper hold" during a pre-season match between the two clubs last month.
The ex-Hawthorn assistant coach believes Eade's comments are an attempt to sway umpires into over analysing the battle between Andrews and Lynch.
"I watch a lot of football and have watched a lot of football over the years and what I see in clashes against tall backs and tall forwards is sometimes forwards are holding on and wrestling and sometimes backs are holding on and wrestling," Fagan said.
"I trust the umpires will look at each situation and umpire it fairly.
"To be honest I'm a little surprised that Rocket decided to go down that pathway and try and influence the way the umpires make their decisions."
Fagan's response is another indication of the growing rivalry between the two Queensland teams - largely sparked during a spiteful round four clash at the Gabba last year where Steven May wiped out Stefan Martin.
As well as being Fagan's first game in charge of the Lions, the match will be a first Suns' appearance for ex-Lion Pearce Hanley.
It also marks the first game as club captains for Lynch and May, while superstar Gary Ablett returns without the burden of leadership for the Suns.
Fagan, who admits he's nervous ahead of his senior coaching debut, says playing hard but fair is crucial to his team's hopes.
"We want to be hard at the footy, but we want to play within the rules," he said.
"We don't want to get guys rubbed out ... you can ill-afford that."
GOLD COAST v BRISBANE - Key match stats
* Brisbane still hold a 7-5 advantage in derby clashes with Gold Coast but the Suns have won three of the past four.
* Pearce Hanley has averaged 31.8 disposals and 1.3 goals in the past four Queensland derbies playing for Brisbane but will make his first start as a Sun on Saturday.
* Brisbane last won at Metricon Stadium with a 94-92 win in round 3, 2013.
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