FOR THE first time in its history, Gold Coast will spend an entire week in Melbourne during the premiership season following Sunday's game against Essendon.

The Suns play the Bombers at Etihad Stadium and follow up six days later against Collingwood at the same venue.

With the back to back matches in Melbourne, Gold Coast hierarchy decided it was a good chance to keep its senior team in the AFL's capital.

On a shorter turnaround, they avoid two extra flights, get some extra bonding together, have something different to look forward to late in the season, and can immerse themselves in the AFL bubble.

The club wants to keep it as normal a week as possible and will remain in the same hotel until match-eve against the Magpies, when they will switch.

The Suns are considering opening one of their training sessions to the public, but are yet to confirm.

One other initiative they are hoping to continue with is an open media session.

For the past month Gold Coast has made its entire 22 from the previous weekend available to speak to media, and it's believed they will do so again in Melbourne.

Despite having just six wins for the season, the Suns have made huge strides in 2016, unearthing talent such as Peter Wright, Callum Ah Chee, Jarrod Garlett, Alex Sexton, Jesse Joyce and Josh Schoenfeld amid another diabolical run of injuries.

They will start favourites against the Bombers and would back themselves to challenge the Magpies.