RODNEY Eade is up for the challenge of leading Gold Coast beyond this season, but concedes his coaching future at the Suns isn't guaranteed.

Eade is in the final season of his three-year contract and the countdown is on for the Queensland club to make a decision on his tenure. 

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The former Swans and Bulldogs mentor dealt with a cultural mess when he arrived at the club in 2015 and an injury crisis hampered Gold Coast last year. 

The Suns finished 15th and 16th respectively in those campaigns and are currently 16^th with a 3-6 record ahead of Saturday's clash with West Coast, and Eade is potentially coaching for his future in the final 13 games. 

"Nothing's ever positive in footy. You never bank on anything," Eade told SEN on Friday. 

"I've got good support, (I've) been told that, but you never know in footy, do you? 

"I'd certainly like to be there. I think we're heading in the right direction. 

"It's not up to me to think about that (my future). I've just got to do what I think's best for the short term I suppose to win games but also for the longer-term.

"At times with a couple of selections we could have very easily gone back to blokes who have had 50 to 80 games, but you think well are they going to take us any further? 

"So you play kids. At the same time you've got an eye on both. 

"You've just got to do it what you think the best way is to do it, rather than (worry about) self-survival." 

The Suns are often compared to fellow expansion club Greater Western Sydney, who are second on the ladder, and Eade said leadership was the major difference between the sides. 

"These (Suns) players haven't modeled their behaviour on anyone before, because it hasn't been there. They've all been young," he said.

"GWS have done it really well with (Heath) Shaw, (Shane) Mumford, (Phil) Davis has been good and obviously Callan Ward, so they've got experienced players there that are competitors as well.

"We probably haven't got that depth of leadership."

The Suns are desperate to keep out-of-contract co-captain Steven May, who Eade was confident would re-sign, and the coach declared no call needed to be made on former skipper Gary Ablett's future before season's end.

Ablett is contracted for next season but speculation is rife he will ask for a trade back to Geelong, or potentially retire, at the end of 2017. 

"He’s under contract next year, so it's totally in our control I would have thought," Eade said. 

"The options are he stays, he requests a trade or that he retires. 

"From our point of view we want him to stay and be a part of the future. We're not even thinking that he'll be going."