The Bulletin goes behind the scenes to discover how the Gold Coast Suns prepare for an away game

Under the concrete stands filling with spectators at Etihad Stadium, the familiar words of the Hunters & Collectors Holy Grail ring out through the dressing sheds of the Gold Coast Suns.

UNDER the concrete stands filling with spectators at Etihad Stadium, the familiar words of the Hunters & Collectors Holy Grail ring out through the dressing sheds of the Gold Coast Suns.

It’s a fitting anthem for a side who are chasing a cup of their own that must seem a world away and a myth at times.

They are about to face one of the most in-form sides in the AFL, North Melbourne, and despite the result that was to come the belief is evident among a playing group buzzing minutes before the siren.

Recruit Lachie Weller is in charge of the pre-game playlist and the shift in energy is evident once he plugs in a stereo.

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It pumps out a deep base mixed with lyrics you could hardly understand before being followed by Kenny Rogers’ ‘The Gambler’ and The Choirboys ‘Run To Paradise’.

A strange mix but it seemed to the do the job because it had Sean Lemmens shouldering the concrete pillar in the middle of the room while coach Stuart Dew did bodywork on Peter Wright.

Specified drills are set in stone but before booming voices fill the room as they walk through the tunnel and onto the pitch, the players are left to their own devices.

Every player knows what they need to do to prepare, including midfielder Touk Miller who routinely combines with assistant coach Dean Solomon to sharpen his handball skills.

Some practice their goal kicking while the likes of Josh Schoenfeld take it to a new level when trying to get a feel of things, walking on to the field with socks but no boots. His washing must be a nightmare.

Many use foam rollers to loosen up muscles and all use giant rubber bands to stretch. Whoever came up with that oversized piece of science must be retired and playing golf every day.

The Gold Coast Suns players in the dressing room ahead of their Round 16 game against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. Steven May (front) warming up. Picture: Supplied.

Fans and family members who arrive early use the chance to speak to players and sons before the last minute influx of spectators ahead of the first bounce.

It may be an away game but for Melbourne-based Suns fan Wayne Broughton, it’s a welcome fixture for a man who travels every fortnight to watch all of the club’s 22 games.

Peeking behind the veil into Gold Coast’s away games provides an intriguing insight into a team who go into the bubble of Melbourne to play just three times throughout the season while another is scheduled for Geelong.

The idiosyncrasies of the players and staff, the physical preparation and the tactical team meetings show a glimpse into how a team, who have struggled so much, try to turn things around.

No moment is wasted and everything recorded.

Jack Martin must be the most punctual person on the list, or just highly anxious to avoid team fines. He is the first to the boarding gate at Coolangatta airport, Saturday afternoon tune up session, team meeting and first on the bus to go to the game.

Club football analysis staff go over vision on their laptops while high performance staff cast their eye over programming on the flight south.

Within an hour of arriving in Melbourne on Saturday the team had checked into their hotel, one Dew assigned as the club’s base after spending years going there with the Sydney Swans.

A quick 200m walk to Melbourne High School on a brisk 10 degree afternoon took the squad to an unassuming field where I’m told a successful local businessmen often lands his helicopter before having his driver pick him up.

He decided to do this once while the Swans were training.

The light tune up session is run by the players who split into groups and conduct skill-based games you would find junior coaches doing for fun. It’s that cold Michael Rischitelli jokes he’d gladly do a 2km time trial to warm up.

All the work on game tactics and opposition analysis is done before game day and the final team meetings are held following the tune-up session.

Polo-shirts are the theme in the main meeting — aside from Aaron Young who brandishes a Munich soccer jumper - and Stuart Dew addresses the group.

But before any chat about strategy, the group relishes a chance to watch Rory Thompson’s highlights reel, including one of just seven goals, ahead of his 100th game.

Video messages from the likes of former teammate and fellow fisherman Matt Shaw along with Thompson’s family are played.

Dew’s messaging to the group is clear and concise, designed to give clarity to individuals on the role they must play while emphasising some trademarks of responsibility, expectation and enjoyment.

The players have been handed the keys to the club and it’s their duty to play like they deserve it.

Three boxes flicker on to a power point presentation and each player is given the aim of getting three ticks by achieving their role across defence, offence and at stoppages.

You can see Dew is conscious not to overwhelm the mostly young group with too much information before they break into more extensive line meetings.

“You don’t want them over thinking because you want them to stay in the moment as much as they can during the game,” assistant coach Ash Prescott said.

Andy Lovell takes the defence and opens a dialogue with the group, prompting them to come up with solutions to situations from vision on the opposition.

Prescott asks a question to his group who take control of the meeting after that.

“The strategy that Stuey brought to the club doesn’t change too much but it’s more about your opposition and how you might adjust your tactics a bit,” Prescott said.

The Gold Coast Suns players in the dressing room ahead of their Round 16 game against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. Wil Powell (front) warming up. Picture: Supplied.

“It’s a fine balance between how much you invest in the opposition and making sure you can still bring your attributes as an AFL footballer.

“We have to play our style of football and that’s usually off the back of effort and defence.

“Our philosophy at the club is if we get the team defence right and if we put the opposition under pressure it will give us a chance to score.”

The vision shown isn’t the first time they have seen it that week. The club uses its own mobile app to send clips to individual players with notes or voiceovers as part of their game education.

“They will get a notification and we can go back and talk about it,” Prescott said.

“We have a software package where we can highlight positions at stoppages and things like that.

“It’s about stimulating them because over a season of football you don’t want to come in and have a coach saying the same thing all the time. It’s about having that ability to mix up their learning.”

The players will be the ones to physically assert themselves on game day but in the early hours of the morning it's the coaches, many former players, who stretch the legs.

In the dark of the morning football manager Jon Haines stands alone in the hotel gym, completing an upper body workout before joining the assistant coaches on a run.

A short time after the players hop on the team bus to head to the ground. It’s a deftly quiet environment where the group swim in their own thoughts, thinking of the Holy Grail they are yet to find.

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Timeline of Suns trip:

Saturday:

Noon - Fly out of Gold Coast.

3.30pm - Arrive Melbourne.

4.30pm - Players tune-up session at Melbourne High School, located 200m from hotel.

5.15pm - Team meeting. Dew addresses entire group before they split into specific line meetings.

Sunday:

9am - Players walk and stretch.

10am - Players lunch.

11am - Bus departs for Etihad Stadium.

Noon - Players individual preparation, warm up or massages. Field open.

12.40pm - Players come together for final preparation. Intensity increases with drills.

1.10pm - Game begins.

3.45pm - Game finishes.

4.30pm - Club function at stadium for supporters.

6pm - Bus departs for aiport.

8.35pm - Flight leaves for Gold Coast.