Damien Hardwick admits Gold Coast are suffering a crisis of confidence as they look to stem the bleeding against a revived Carlton.
The Suns will attempt to end an eight-match AFL losing streak when they face the Blues at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
They came close at home last weekend in a nine-point loss to the Western Bulldogs punctuated by a handful of self-inflicted wounds.
"Our 80 (per cent) last week was pretty good, but our 20 per cent was really bad," head coach Hardwick said.
"Thirty-four turnovers and 22 of them were unforced ... that's a skill or a decision-making error under no pressure.
"Confidence sometimes is a magical formula that we're trying to achieve.
"And we're trying to build that within our players."
It comes in a week in which star midfielder Matt Rowell denied reports of a rift between himself and the coach, while Hardwick on Thursday admitted the club had plans in place should out-of-contract forward Ben King opt to leave for a rival club.
King is second on the Coleman Medal leaderboard with 48 goals, two back from leader Charlie Curnow.
Hardwick said King's situation wouldn't influence his performance as the Suns, early flag favourites, scrap to make the top 10.
"You wouldn't know that this is a part of his everyday life," Hardwick said of the contract speculation.
"He's been outstanding. You know he will be the same regardless.
"Even if he's made his decision, he will still be the same guy that shows up everyday, smile on his face, works his backside off for this footy club.
"He's been incredible for the eight or nine years that he's been here and he'll be incredible for the amount of time that he will here until the time he finishes with us."
"He's an outstanding human and you know we'd love to have him (stay)."
The Blues won seven consecutive games after Josh Fraser took over from Michael Voss, but have lost their last two.
Hardwick said Fraser had added the offensive flourishes to the foundations laid by Voss around the contest.
Fraser, the Suns' inaugural ruckman in 2011 and a former coach at the club, expects a response from Gold Coast in Melbourne.
"Their best footy is really good; they've got talent across the field," he said.
"Their ability to open the game up through forward handball and moving the ball ... they're a dangerous side.
"Sometimes the win-loss column can distort exactly what clubs are capable of, but we're fully aware of what they will bring."
Australian Associated Press
