Craig Bird says AFL leaders Sydney have any number of players capable of combating the threat posed by Gold Coast superstar Gary Ablett.

The Suns captain is averaging a tick under 35 touches a game and earlier this week was a runaway winner of a media poll for the competition’s best player.

The likes of Bird, Kieren Jack and Ben McGlynn are among several tagging options on Ablett that Sydney coach John Longmire could consider for Saturday’s Metricon Stadium encounter.

“I think Ben McGlynn was on him (Ablett) a bit last year, but it could be a number of different players,” Bird said on Tuesday.

“That’s the good thing about this year, we’ve had a number of players that go to the target players and not just one bloke, so we can vary it up a bit.”

Bird nominated the Suns midfield as the struggling Queensland club’s greatest threat to Sydney and said the Swans on-ball brigade would need to step up.

“With those players coming back (Michael) Rischitelli, (David) Swallow, they’ve been on top in the clearances and contested footy the last couple of weeks and really had good games,” Bird said.

“Hopefully we can win that battle and shut down Gary and stop his influence on the game and really get on top in that battle there in the midfield, that’s the key.”

For all Bird’s kind words about Gold Coast’s midfield, few would argue Sydney now possess one of the competition’s deepest and most versatile on-ball brigades.

“I think the (midfield) depth is probably the biggest its been since I’ve been at the club,” Bird said.

“We’ve got Luke Parker who is playing in the reserves at the moment, he can still come back in.

“He’s been a great contributor this year and we’ve got six or seven players that can run through the midfield now, we don’t just rely on the two or three to do the job every week.”

Parker is tipped to return to the senior side this week, while ruckman Shane Mumford is not expected to play.

Canadian Mike Pyke is poised to be Sydney’s first-choice ruckman against the Suns, with backup from either Lewis Roberts-Thomson or Jesse White.

“Mummy has been a great player over the last couple of weeks since he’s come back from injury, but luckily we’ve got Pykey who has been in really good form,” Bird said.