While many coaches adopt this stance, for McKenna, it's a must as he constantly tweaks his team in preparation for its graduation into the AFL in less than two seasons’ time.
He was pleasantly surprised to learn from one of his players that they sat fourth on the ladder – and hold that position going into their round 12 bye. But the ladder makes no difference to the way McKenna approaches each game.
“You look as far as the end of your nose,” McKenna says, quipping that narrow wins in their last four home games have given him more than a few grey hairs.
“We like to keep our fan base nice and close to the edge of their chairs. I think our wins have been two points, three points, five points. We had a huge win (over Ballarat), which was seven points!”
While the games have often been too close for McKenna's liking, the coach is quick to acknowledge the positive signs from these victories.
“That shows me the boys have got that never-give-in attitude. Gold Coast Stadium is going to be our turf, and certainly in the four recent games the boys have been able to hang on and defend their turf,” McKenna says.
The year so far has seen promising development in all areas of the team, not least of all in the backline, which McKenna says struggled early in the year. Noted improvement from a few individuals has lifted the whole squad.
Defender Hamish Watts battled through the early months, but McKenna says he is now a solid bookend at full-back. Bottom-aged Jake Crawford has started to shine at centre half-back through with his mobility, size and enthusiasm, while the coach has also been impressed by small defender Mitch Harley, Daniel Ramage and Jesse Haberfield, who McKenna says have stepped up their games and are rarely beaten down back.
Ruckmen Zac Smith and Rory Thompson, who are two of eight contracted Gold Coast players, are winning the tap-outs and giving the midfielders first use of the ball.
The work rate up forward has also ramped up, with Matt Fowler, Charlie Dixon, Alik Magin, Troy Jamieson and Liam Rutledge several players to show improvement.
“They’re now understanding there’s two parts of playing forward,” McKenna says.
“Kicking goals and taking marks is one thing, but you’re also in the side to defend, and the boys have recognised that, embraced it and are starting to carry it out.”
With the squad gelling together, McKenna says his players have developed the instinctive streak he was seeking at the season’s start.
“Because of them being predictable to one another, we’re asking those boys to make those right and wrong decisions. They’re certainly evolving – and that’s their initiative, that’s playing on their instinct. That’s now coming.”
Playing as the Queensland squad in the NAB under-18s Championships has taken the Gold Coast’s game to a new level, with McKenna citing the challenge of wearing one guernsey one week and another the next as “experience you can’t buy”.
Positive lessons have been learned despite several losses, including a largely untried side being comfortably defeated by Tasmania in Launceston at the weekend, and a 31-point loss to South Australia after having led through the third quarter.
“Being able to expose the boys to the best challenges them, and then you’ll find out the ones that step forward and move forward as opposed to the ones that stagnate or actually slip backwards,” McKenna says.
