GOLD Coast is under immense pressure entering Saturday's QClash at the Gabba, and Brisbane Lions captain Dayne Beams wants to tighten the screws on their arch rivals.
Suns coach Rodney Eade is out of contract and the club's football department is in the middle of a review – and five straight losses isn't helping anyone's cause.
Beams says the Lions are mainly focused on winning to improve their chances of avoiding the wooden spoon, but concedes putting more pressure on the Suns is a lure.
"We've spoken about it as a group … that we could play a part in shaping the top eight, and that's probably talking more about the game we just played (against the Western Bulldogs)," Beams said on Monday morning.
"I guess when you can cause any disruption or you can do anything to another club, it's a nice thing to play for, it creates motivation within the group."
The Lions ambushed Gold Coast in the opening quarter when the teams met in round one, kicking the first seven goals of the game and hanging on to win by two points at Metricon Stadium.
It was a result that put the Suns on the back foot, and one from which they have never fully recovered.
Conversely the Lions, with little expectation under first-year coach Chris Fagan, have steadily improved, particularly since the mid-season bye.
They led the Dogs midway through the final quarter before conceding the final three goals of the game to lose by 14 points.
Beams said the Lions were desperate to get off the bottom of the ladder.
"We haven't won enough games to get ourselves off the bottom, but that's our aim until the end of the year," he said.
"We see the next three games (Gold Coast, Melbourne, North Melbourne) as winnable.
"That's our mission as a group to jump off the bottom of the ladder, it starts this week.
"(There's) no better feeling than to beat the Gold Coast, and hopefully North have a loss and we can jump off."
The Lions trail both the Kangaroos and Carlton by a game plus percentage and will need to win at least two of their final three matches to avoid finishing last.
"Often the last three rounds, in our positon, can drag out a bit," Beams said. "We're really looking forward to finishing the season strong."