Gold Coast’s three AFL wins in the first six weeks of the season might be more than most expected from the Suns in 2019 but not coach Stuart Dew.
After winning three of their first four matches, the Suns have been brought back to earth in recent weeks with heavy losses to Adelaide and Brisbane.
Saturday’s 49-point defeat to the Lions at Metricon Stadium was particularly concerning for Dew, who said his team didn’t match the fight of their Queensland rivals.
He fears some of his players might be coasting after their stronger-than-expected start to the year.
“Our consistency in preparation earlier in the year was spot on and then, today, I think it showed there must be some gaps and we need to find them and fix them,” Dew said.
“AFL seasons aren’t rounds one to four, certainly not. We can all get better at that, us included as coaches.”
Things won’t get easier for the Suns next weekend when they travel to face premiers West Coast in Perth.
While a win over the Eagles might be too much to ask for his young team, Dew definitely will be demanding an improvement.
“It’s bigger than that. It’s where our group’s at,” he said.
“Yes, there’s the week-to-week component but we’ve got a bigger picture at play and so I think, in that sense, it’s just every small brick at a time. We’ve got to make sure we keep putting them up.”