HIS COACH might still be eyeing finals – or at least shaping them - but vice-captain Steven May has set more modest goals for Gold Coast for the remainder of 2016 

Following Sunday's 77-point loss to West Coast, the Suns' seventh straight defeat, coach Rodney Eade suggested he hadn't given up on making the top eight.

Eade said with a host of injured players due to return in the next fortnight, the 3-7 Suns would improve and playing in September was not beyond them.

He said what any coach would say.

Match preview: Gold Coast v Sydney Swans

But speaking on Tuesday, full-back May dialled it back a touch, agreeing he expected a marked improvement in coming weeks, but saying he hasn't looked that far ahead.

He said with up to seven players expected to return from injury to play the red-hot Sydney Swans on Saturday, Gold Coast should start putting in better performances.

"I know it's a cliché, but week by week," May said.

"We can't think with five blokes coming back we're going to win. You still have to get the synergy and chemistry.

"Rocket's pretty optimistic there I think, but if we can win the remainder of our games, there's no reason we can't.

"As a player I want to see those turnovers come down, and then we can start winning games and then we can look at those sort of things.

"But I don't think we're really looking at finals as of yet."

Kade Kolodjashnij, Sam Day, Touk Miller, Matt Rosa, Alex Sexton, Trent McKenzie and Callum Ah Chee are all chances to return from injury against the Swans.

The standout trait of those additions is their quality ball use, and May said if Gold Coast could limit their turnovers, they could trouble anyone.

"We're going to put some training drills in place to stop that because that's been a problem the last six weeks, turnovers have been killing us," he said.

"With those boys coming in, they're really good disposals and they should be able to help with that.

"We'll be able to build some more continuity and certainly after the bye you should see a lot more competitive side out of us.

"There shouldn't be big losses, if there are there'll be questions asked that's for sure.

"I think when there's seven or eight coming back, boys are going to be on notice and playing a lot more on their toes, and we should see a much more competitive side in the second half."