IT'S BACK to basics for Gold Coast this week as the SUNS try to rectify their goal-kicking yips.
The SUNS kicked themselves out of an upset win over rivals the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night, finishing with 5.18 for the match, and just 1.8 in the crucial final term.
Despite their inaccuracy, Gold Coast hit the lead in the last quarter, only to watch the Lions kick two late goals and snatch an 11-point victory.
The club is planning more practice in front of the big sticks, but the QClash loss wasn't a one-off - look back a little further and it's a problem that has plagued the SUNS in recent weeks.
In a stretch including a 14-point loss against premier Geelong, an after-the-siren win over Richmond, and Saturday's loss against the Lions, the SUNS have kicked a combined 31.48.
Teenage forward Tom Lynch said the missed opportunities were still hurting on Monday morning.
The ball was in our half 70 per cent of the time in that last quarter. We missed a few chances and it's obviously disappointing to not get over the line, Lynch said.
"Most of them were gettable ... but we just didn't take our chances.
"Sometimes those games just happen where you don't make the most of your chances. You'd have to put it down to skill execution. We'll work hard on it this week and hopefully put them through the big sticks this weekend."
Missing became a disease on Saturday night as David Swallow and Jared Brennan hit the post with very gettable set shots, while Gary Ablett, Luke Russell and Karmichael Hunt also sprayed last quarter chances.
There were also five rushed behinds, but Lynch said the positive was the SUNS' ability to create scoring shots in the past three weeks.
He said the return from injury of midfield trio Swallow, Dion Prestia and Michael Rischitelli had helped them rectify their poor contested possession and clearance rates.
We're starting to win it out of the middle and once you start getting it going your way, you stop chasing and defending and you've got a lot more energy to attack,
Gold Coast hosts the table topping Sydney Swans at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.
