DION Prestia says the Gold Coast SUNS are determined to end their breakout season on a high, starting with a strong performance against St. Kilda this weekend.
"We want to finish off this year well because we finished off last year really well and it built into this year," Prestia said.
"Hopefully we can repeat that."
Despite holding a better win-loss record than their Round 22 opponents, Prestia knows knocking off the rebuilding Saints won’t come easy for the travelling Gold Coasters.
The Saints still boast a handful of players from their 2010 AFL Grand Final appearances, including star midfielders Nick Dal Santo, Leigh Montana and skipper Nick Reiwoldt.
“We know St Kilda are a very good contested footy team. They've got a lot of solid midfielders, especially big bodies in there. “
“We'll bring that to them. Probably a similar game plan to round one just contested footy and tackles. I think we've been going pretty well the last couple of weeks.”
After a short stint in defence, Dion Prestia has emerged as a key piece to the SUNS developing midfield alongside Harley Bennell and rising star Jaeger O’Meara – making Gary Ablett’s eventual move to the Guy McKenna’s forwardline a more seamless transition.
But Prestia says he is in no hurry to see “Gaz” shift up forward permanently.
“We still like Gary in there (midfield). Wherever he goes he's going to get tagged. If he comes into the midfield it'll take pressure off Harley or Jaeger or myself.”
“(But) if Gaz plays forward he'll be dangerous, if he plays midfield he'll be dangerous”
“Now that a lot of the midfielders have played a lot of games now, he probably feels he doesn't have to be in there as much.”
Prestia said a strong end to 2013 would help the Club build momentum heading into the summer.
“The next two games are definitely games we expect to win, and we want to finish off this year well because we finished off last year well and that really built into this year.”