GOLD Coast is leaving no stone unturned in search for a first away win of 2024, with coach Damien Hardwick saying it will tinker with everything from pre-game music to diet ahead of this weekend.
The Suns have made strides in many areas this year, but one thing they haven't done yet is win away from home, losing to the Western Bulldogs, Greater Western Sydney, Sydney, Brisbane and Carlton.
On Saturday night, they face St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, with a win guaranteeing a spot in the eight before heading to the mid-season bye.
Speaking before main training on Thursday morning, Hardwick said his team was still trying to bed down the perfect travel routine.
"We're 11 or 12 weeks into our journey of what works, what doesn't work, things I like, things that we've done previously, just working our way through that to find a better means to find a better result," he said.
"There'll be a couple of things we'll try this week. Whether it has a direct impact on the result, I'm not too sure.
"We'd love to win away."
In his usual half-serious – but with a hint of truth – manner, Hardwick said he would take over the pre-game music selection on Saturday, joking the Suns might need some death metal in their ears before running out.
"One of the things we underrate in world sport, winning away is tough," he said.
"Every club that comes to our stadium or we go to theirs, it's tough.
"You're sort of automatically three of four goals down before you start. What we have to understand is it is achievable.
"There's little things (we'll look at) with regard to our diet … the template of what to do at certain times.
"There's things I've had experience with before that are different than the way we've done it here.
"Not to say mine are right and the others wrong, we've just got to work together and figure out what works for us."
Gold Coast has won just four first quarters this season, and none away from home.
Hardwick said they could tinker with as many things pre-match as possible, but ultimately success comes down to one factor.
"Sometimes it's as simple as getting the job done, as harsh as that is.
"We haven't started well from a contested ball point of view, so let's get to work in that part of the game and then we're not worried about blankets and pillows and dietary requirements and these sorts of things.
"We're pretty sure we'll turn that into a positive at some stage."
Hardwick said Gold Coast took a "conservative" approach to the hamstring niggle of Jarrod Witts, with the co-captain to miss his second straight match this weekend and expected back straight after the bye.
