Gold Coast has used Richmond as a measuring stick since coming into the AFL, and is hoping to continue the Tigers' nightmare run in Queensland when they meet in round one on Saturday night.
Since entering the competition in 2011, the SUNS have won two of three matches against Richmond - both in Cairns - which is their best record against any team other than GWS.
Now they want to follow Richmond's lead in making the finals, after the Tigers broke a long drought to finish in the top eight last season.
Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna says he has closely monitored the model used by Tigers coach Damien Hardwick since he took the reins in 2009.
The SUNS won eight games to finish 13th last season and are hopeful of another big jump this year.
"They're one or two years ahead of us," McKenna said of Richmond.
"Damien came in as coach and stripped back the list. He's injected through the draft and trading players in.
"We don't have the 100 years of tradition like they've got … but we track them and follow them and we know they're just ahead of us on the curve.
"It's a great measure of us when we play them and I think our recent history against Richmond, it proves that."
McKenna said he had been impressed by the Tigers' pre-season form and expected them to be hungry after a first-week finals exit last season.
"I think they've got some bad experiences of coming up to Queensland as well; I know it's not Cairns, but it's Metricon, and we want to make sure those nightmares continue," he said.
Gold Coast could hand a senior debut to three players, with young defenders Sean Lemmens and Clay Cameron set to join highly touted teenager Jack Martin as first gamers.
The news on key defender Rory Thompson is not so good, with McKenna saying he was "a long shot" to play after a pre-season interrupted by hip surgery and illness.
"If we want to make the finals we have to improve 50 per cent - eight wins to 12 - it's simple maths," McKenna said.
"Our output has to go up accordingly. If we're able to maintain the rage for longer, you win more games, you get yourselves in the finals.
"After four pre-seasons we're physically ready to rumble in the jungle, but mentally is our great challenge. That's part of our growth; that's part of the growth of our football club."
