Stuart Dew says Gold Coast's lack of resilience has been the biggest disappointment following back-to-back hidings.
The SUNS were beaten by 85 points by Geelong and followed that with an even worse 108-point hammering at the hands of Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.
Just as disturbing for Dew has been his team's historically poor final quarters.
In the past three matches, Gold Coast has scored a combined two behinds in final terms, and in the past month have been outscored by an average of 26 points.
They have won just one fourth quarter all season.
Dew said it wasn't simply a lack of fitness that is costing his team.
"No. There is an element of that, but at times I think that's our resilience," Dew said.
"We have been down at three-quarter time and it's making sure we play the game out.
"The game is done at three-quarter time and the whole team knows that.
"The disappointing part was we set ourselves the task of trying to win that last quarter (against GWS) to salvage something from the game and we didn't, and that's why it blows out.
"That's the part we talked about Monday as well. We can control the last quarter. Although the game is done we wanted to tick that one off and that was disappointing."
Dew said post-match criticism of the SUNS was justified, although he didn't buy into the commentary surrounding suggestions the club needed additional AFL assistance.
"I think it's right that when you have a big loss your effort is always questioned," he said.
"When it's that big, it's a number of things, not just one.
"We have really let ourselves down in the last two weeks on the back of poor contest and work-rate, so we will look for a big improvement in that area.
"When I say work-rate, that's how we move the ball, that's how we stop the opposition moving the ball.
"It really gets back to our core stuff we have worked at over the pre-season and the season. As a footy club we were disappointed."
Gold Coast plays fellow strugglers St Kilda at Metricon Stadium on Saturday, and Dew hinted at shaking up the team with a number of changes.
One man in line for a recall is midfielder Jarryd Lyons, who had 37 disposals in the NEAFL at the weekend after being dropped following some poor form.