Despite the gloom of a 10-game AFL losing streak that shows no signs of ending, Gold Coast see signs of life amid the pain and suffering.
Suns coach Stuart Dew and chief executive Mark Evans are increasingly optimistic that the expansion club is starting to win the battle of the go-home factor.
Gold Coast have made wholesale changes, including nearly half their football department staff.
It follows the departures of captains Gary Ablett, Tom Lynch and Steven May in the last couple of years.
“The feeling we’ve had across the course of this year is we’ve made massive improvements in that,” Evans said of player retention.
“If that group of players commits themselves to this coach and this club for a period of time, we’re really comfortable that we’ll continue to progress.”
Dew, in his second year as Suns coach, said the key was not trying to convince the players that they should stay.
“We don’t want to sit there and convince or sell, we actually put all our energy into making sure we get it right,” he said.
“Then I think it takes care of itself.”
While the Suns’ next two games are tough assignments against Richmond and Adelaide, they are close to finally unveiling excitement machine Izaak Rankine.
There is much excitement at Gold Coast about last year’s No.3 draft pick and what he offers.
“He’s a great person, he has great visions of what he wants to achieve in footy, but also in life,” Dew said.
“He brings a fair bit of joy to the place.”
In a mid-season briefing for Melbourne media on Wednesday, Gold Coast officials went over the plan that they believe is already putting them back on track.
“The clock’s not going to do it for us,” Dew said.
“When people want to improve, they go ‘In three years, we will be this …’ Well, only if you do the work.
“We’ve done a lot of work around ‘This is where we are’, but we have a real firm belief on where we can get to and how we think we can get there.”
Despite so little on-field reward this season, Dew added morale remains strong.
“It’s been easy for us to maintain that energy through the year, because we’re seeing these players go from zero games to 10 or a (Jack) Bowes, or a (Ben) Ainsworth elevate their game.
“When you’re where we are, the win-loss can’t be the only barometer for mood, motivation.
“That’s not accepting it, but you do have to give them some wins elsewhere.”