Gold Coast remains 'hopeful' Gary Ablett will overcome a calf complaint to play North Melbourne at Metricon Stadium next Saturday.

The SUNS will also assess the fitness of brilliant runner Pearce Hanley, who suffered hamstring tightness in his injury-ravaged team's 31-point loss to St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Sunday night.

On Friday, Ablett withdrew from what would have been his 300th game after experiencing tightness in the soleus muscle in the calf, but coach Rodney Eade is optimistic his 32-year-old superstar will be passed fit to take on the Kangaroos.

"He did a test (on) Friday but didn't get through that," Eade said of Ablett.

"He's had tight calves before. Players play with (tightness) in the soleus.

"We're more than hopeful but, with his age, we'll just wait and see."

Eade revealed that Hanley was almost a late withdrawal after having a tight back, which was related to a calf and hamstring.

Hanley was one of the SUNS' best players until he left the field with hamstring tightness and remained sidelined for the majority of the last quarter – a decision Eade said was a precautionary measure.

The SUNS are reasonably confident he hasn't torn the hamstring.

"We think it might be neural still … We don't think he's done it. Pearce is pretty certain he hasn't," Eade said.

Midfielder Touk Miller also sustained a corked thigh in the second quarter but is expected to be available next week.

It was a brave effort by the SUNS given they were forced to replace six players from last week.

They won 27 more possessions, 31 more uncontested possessions and had 28 more marks, but their turnovers proved costly.

For the second game in a row, SUNS skipper Tom Lynch failed to kick a goal. Eade conceded the spearhead's form was a concern but said he doesn't receive as many free kicks as he should.

"He is struggling. He's probably got some mental demons there, too, with his kicking and stuff like that," Eade said.

"I thought he worked really hard, especially the first half, just some things didn't turn out for him – a couple of free kicks he could've got, which can spin the wheel the other way.

"I think that's frustrating for him because we see the other forwards get them, and they're there, but Tom doesn't get any.

"He's going through a rough patch. All players have in their career. It's probably the first time Tom's had a patch of this for an extended period.

"But knowing the character, he'll push through it, he'll learn from it."