Senior Coach Stuart Dew says being better with the ball in their hands will be a key focal point for his side ahead of Saturday’s Round 5 test against the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.

The SUNS were gallant but ultimately fell short against Carlton at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night, going down by 11 points after the Blues finished the stronger of the two teams.

Dew admitted his side needed to make better use of their time with the ball.

“We gave the ball back to them far too often. We’re actually hurting ourselves continually in pressure moments, so we have to keep working on that and emphasise that,” Dew said.

“When we tried to take the game on, at different times it worked, but other times we just missed easy targets and they’re the ones that really sting – those unpressured turnovers.

“We need to address that otherwise we’ll continually fall short.

Dew added that learning to win and taking control of contests in pressure situations is an element that needs to be developed.

“We’ve got to get over this hump and we haven’t as yet, we certainly feel like we’re close,” Dew said.

“It’s part of our DNA that we’ve tried to instil in the boys that they’re in the game, so we certainly have to learn to win.

“We feel like when we get over that hump, we’ll be in good shape, based on the fact that across the last two of three years, we’ve been training hard both sides of the ball and building that game plan.

“Touk (Miller) said it during the week, we don’t want to be an almost footy club. We’re not concerned, because we think we have the right attitude and they put in the work, so we definitely think that we’ll get there, as a footy club.”

Dew was full of praise for versatile midfielder Hugh Greenwood post-match whose 27 disposals, an equal game-high 10 clearances, 18 contested possessions, 10 tackles and a goal also caught the eyes of SUNS fans who voted him as the Austworld Player of the Round.

“He was unbelievable. We highlighted not only his game from last week but his last quarter when the game is on the line,” Dew added.

“He’s in some really good form Hugh and just doing what the team needs because at different times he’s playing as a standard mid, a couple of time he has to take ruckwork and what it shows is high character, and all for the team.”