Gold Coast Suns head coach Stuart Dew has expressed his unwavering belief that he remains the man to turn the expansion side's fortunes around.
Dew is set to enter his sixth season in the position at Carrara, however, the dual premiership player's contract with the club is currently set to expire at the cessation of 2022.
Still, in spite of his 19 win, one draw and 63 loss record at the helm since 2017, the 42-year-old divulged that the best was yet to come for both he and his fledgling unit.
"I'm confident in what I can deliver," he told AFL Media's, Michael Whiting.
"No pressure, no diamonds type of thing."
"I feel like it's going to bring the best out in me, which will be good for the footy club."
While acknowledging that while there remains plenty of talk beyond the bounds of his locker room, the former Power and Hawk believed it would only stand him in better stead to produce results this season.
"I've been under pressure before both as a coach and player," he continued.
"When I went to Hawthorn, that was an interesting move obviously at the time for them, but I'll back myself to do the job I'm paid to do.
"It's a job that I love."
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Although his charges proved impressive in their Friday afternoon practice match victory over back-to-back preliminary finalists Port Adelaide, there are still dull roars about whether Dew's former mentor will usurp him on the glitter strip.
With the ever-ambiguous Alastair Clarkson dropping breadcrumbs regarding his pedagogical future, punters and pundits hold the view that the four-time premiership coach could well become the latest name to lead Gold Coast from 2023 onwards.
Whether there remains any truth to these whispers, Dew acted as a fan for the flames by stating he had not yet engaged in any formal conversations regarding his future beyond the end of this season.
looks on during the round 14 AFL match between the Sydney Swans and the Hawthorn Hawks at the Sydney Cricket Ground on June 21, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
"To be honest, I'm not interested in talking about myself at this stage," the 202-gamer revealed.
"What's going to dictate that is what happens out on the field, so 100 per cent of my energy is into that.
"I haven't been on the front foot talking about it either. The players need me to be at my best and that's what I can control."
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The South Australian native further delineated that it would be on-field performances that would act as his saving grace or whether he would be severed from the role.
"How am I getting the team going, how am I working with coaches and the footy department and that's what's going to show," Dew stated.
"I'll be a by-product of that. Same as players. We've got players out of contract. I can't give them the advice to control what you can control and turn around and do the opposite."
With wunderkinds Ben King, Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine all set to come off contract at the end of 2022, it may not be too hyperbolic to suggest that Gold Coast's upcoming campaign is their most important in club history.
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And should another September of inaction be written in the Queensland sky, it would become a challenge to believe that each of the aforementioned four will be back at Carrara next season.
The Suns' all-important 2022 season is set to commence following their AAMI Community Series hitout against Geelong on Monday, March 7 at Metricon Stadium, with a Round 1 date against West Coast in Perth acting as the club's opening hurdle.
