Heading into his third year as Lions coach, Voss said the substitute rule had necessitated improved running capabilities in his side to compete with the rest of the competition.
"I think given the fact we've got 21 on the team with one substitute this year, it raises the endurance levels just a little bit, so that's something we've been working on with our speed and endurance," Voss told afl.com.au last week in an exclusive interview at the club's Telstra AFL Community Camp at Toowoomba.
"That's become a focus and because of that the players have been putting on some outstanding results," he said.
Voss also admitted that the results of 2010 - the Lions won their first four games of the season before winning only three more for the rest of the year and finishing in 13th position - had made him refine his plans to make for a more basic approach.
"Despite the bells and whistles you want to put on your game plan, it's still about being able to win your footy and how efficient you are with it. At times last year we let ourselves down in both those departments, and we just gave up those standards and it's not what these guys are about," he said.
"If they can follow through on those then I know they'll get the success they deserve."
After a pre-season which has seen Albert Proud sacked from the club and Brendan Fevola on indefinite leave, Voss was honest in his assessment of where the club sits as it enters the 2011 season.
"I would like to hope we can certainly figure in the run home," he said. "I think we've got a pretty capable group."
Voss also pointed to a more permanent role in the forward line for Mitch Clark, said he had barely thought about Gold Coast's entrance to the AFL, and that the club hadn't been impacted "as bad as we would've thought" by the loss of key midfielders Michael Rischitelli, Jared Brennan and Justin Sherman.
