GOLD COAST coach Stuart Dew says the Suns' 96-point loss to Melbourne isn't a "true reflection" of the tight-knit nature of the group, which was reinforced by the official departure of co-captain Tom Lynch this week.
He also said he believed the Suns didn't need to "start again" despite their four-win season and the fact a number of key players remain unsigned amid speculation others also want out.
The Suns were blown away in the first quarter on Sunday and trailed by 51 points at quarter-time after losing key forward Peter Wright in the opening minute to a knee injury.
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Dew said he challenged his players about getting smashed in the contested ball 52 to 30 at quarter-time, which prompted a better display in the second and third before they fell away in the final stanza.
He said there was no evidence to suggest his team wasn't united despite the hefty blowout.
"They showed during the week they're really aligned and we put it back to them that they are a group that are gelling together," Dew said.
"It hasn't showed on the scoreboard today but in the locker room, they certainly are.
"We'll see some rewards from that. I'm not sure it's a true reflection of how close the group is today but I think the second and third [quarters] are.
"Our contest work in the first quarter was really a reality check and well done to Melbourne."
Steven May, David Swallow, Jack Martin and Aaron Hall are among the Suns who remain unsigned, but Dew remains "always confident" they'll stay at the club.
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He categorically denied it was in a position where it needed to wipe the slate clean in order to progress.
"I don't think we need to start again," he said.
"I think there's things we need to fix and get better at but define starting again … I'm not sure.
"We've absolutely got some areas to improve, the ladder tells us that, so we're digging deep on what that is on field and off field and getting about our work.
"But the notion of starting again, I think we've got a fair bit at our club we can build on."
Dew said he felt the club was already in the process of moving forward with the players starting to understand how they could shape its direction.
"We change the culture by building a good environment, we've said that over and over," he said.
"We've got 45 players so there's always someone who wants to go and then we're going to have people who want to come.
"What I think we have worked out is we've got a fair chunk of weight of numbers who want to stay and really build this club in the right way and we need to build around that.
"The players also need to understand their role they play in that and I think they're starting to get their heads around that, that it's not over to one or two people off the field, it's certainly up to them on the field as well.
"We're absolutely in the trenches with the players and we'll support them and challenge them – a bit like at quarter-time, a little bit of challenge and a lot of support, and sometimes it's the other way around."
