Saturday looms as the first time Stuart Dew will face the Sydney Swans, the club he served as an assistant coach for eight years before joining the SUNS last year.
Dew was the strategy and midfield coach with the Swans under John Longmire, the man he will meet again at the SCG, but this time in unfamiliar circumstances.
“It’s going to be a bit weird,” Dew told SUNS TV
“Being in the opposition coaches’ box will be a little bit different so hopefully I don’t walk into the wrong one after one of the breaks.
“I’ll probably get told to get out pretty quick anyway.”
Having been in the Swans system for so many years has some advantages for the first-year SUNS coach.
He has an intimate knowledge of the workings of the
“There’s a little bit of knowledge there and I think they’re playing a similar style to what they always do,” Dew said.
“It’s a great recipe and it holds them in great stead.
“But again, we’ve really tried to concentrate on what we can control and try to bring our best for more consistency which has been our messaging.”
One of those elements Gold Coast can control is their finishing skills under pressure.
The SUNS dominated the first quarter against Essendon last weekend, but couldn’t convert on the scoreboard, spoiling golden opportunities in front of goals to kick just two goals and eight behinds.
It prompted Dew and ruckman Jarrod Witts to comment during the week on how the SUNS needed to be better at “cashing in” when the team is dominating its opposition.
“When you’re having ten shots you’d love to be minimum five (goals) and five (behinds),” Dew said.
“So I think that’s where a little bit of that language is coming from and we have been able to get shots on goal but not finish the work.
“We obviously need better shot selection but also more quality entries.”
Saturday’s match against Sydney kicks off at 2:10pm, with the NEAFL playing a curtain raiser prior to the seniors at 10:30am.
