GOLD Coast coach Damien Hardwick says his club needs to make tough calls on what a finals brand looks like for the Suns and get to work on delivering it after too many players failed to produce in critical contests against West Coast on Friday night.
The Suns led for the vast majority of the match at Optus Stadium and were in a winning position late, but the Eagles surged to kick two goals in the final five minutes, leaving Gold Coast without an away win since round nine, 2023.
EAGLES v SUNS Full match coverage and stats
With its finals chances all but over, Hardwick said the team had not played a September brand of football after losing the contested ball battle (143-123) and it was something his players needed to master.
"You've got to play a September brand of footy and we didn't," Hardwick said on Friday night.
"We have to sit there and make decisions on players. It's our job as coaches to help them and make them better, or work on the development phase, but we've also got to be better in critical moments.
"That's the disappointing thing from our point of view. When we have a chance to be stronger over the ball and get the ball going forward, we just didn't get it done.
"We're going to make some tough calls about what that September brand looks like, and are we at that level at the moment. I don't deflect the fact that it's my job to get these guys up to speed, and we've failed in that this year."
Hardwick paid credit to the Eagles' consistent effort on Friday night and ability to turn the screws late in the game, outnumbering and outworking his Suns and forcing them to fumble and concede contests.
The loss all but ends the 9-11 Suns' finals chances, but Hardwick said there could still be purpose in their run home.
"It can be shattering, or the next three weeks could be defining for what it looks like moving forward, because this is an all too familiar tale for our football club and we've got to change it," he said.
"Our playing group, our coaches, our organisation has to stand up and say, 'Listen, let's get to work, we've got three weeks to turn something around'.
"We've never had a winning season. I think our max wins is 10, so let's work towards something. We want to make sure we sit there and finish off the way we should finish the season off."
While Hardwick lamented his team's contest efforts, West Coast interim coach Jarrad Schofield was filled with pride at his group's physical and combative approach and their commitment to pressuring the opposition late in the game.
"It was a real growth game for us as a team, and they got the reward they deserved," Schofield said.
"It's a combative game, and the game shows you that the teams that are at the top of the ladder do it for longer.
"The game is built around contests and pressure, so when we double down on just some simple KPIs and some simple focuses, and we get players to commit to it and buy into it, then we get what we got tonight and that was a win.
"So they know they can do it. We talk about choices that we make, and they made a choice to really do it for longer."
Schofield, whose prospects of winning the permanent job at West Coast could be enhanced by the performance, paid tribute to the contributions of both his young players, including debutant Clay Hall and young forward/ruck Jack Williams, and the senior leaders.
He said it was important the team celebrated a memorable win after another difficult season that had netted three wins before Friday night.
"We've had moments where we showed some really positive signs and one step forward two steps back, but we want to make sure that we keep moving forward and we just want to enjoy it together," he said.
"We've got an eight-day break to tackle North (Melbourne) down in Hobart and we want to make sure we freshen up and continue on and continue to get better.
"That's what the whole message was over the last three weeks and especially last week as well, to do it for longer and keep getting better."
