Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has run the rule over his misfiring Lions as they aim to rediscover their early-season form in Saturday's QClash against Gold Coast.
It will mark the first time both AFL clubs have taken winning records (3-2) into a Queensland derby, although both are coming off heavy losses.
A noticeably terse Fagan on Wednesday challenged his men to respond after their Easter Thursday loss to Collingwood.
He said they had taken advantage of the long break between games to conduct an "audit" of a season that has stalled with successive defeats.
"We know what our best football looks like and what it doesn't look like, because we've had a couple of looks at that over the last two weeks against two great sides in form," Fagan said of losses to Essendon and the Magpies.
"I think always coaches are looking for the response after some poor performances.
"You're going to have those patches where you don't go so well but it's your ability to bounce back quickly is what you're looking for.
"Both of us are in the same boat this week so that'll make the competition pretty fierce I'd imagine."
Fagan confirmed there would be changes to the side - on top of those forced by injuries to Harris Andrews and Rhys Mathieson - although he fiercely defended ruckman Stef Martin.
"No, nup, Stef's been in great form and (fellow tall) Oscar (McInerney), on the back of one game against (Brodie) Grundy, who's probably the hot ruckman in the competition at the moment.
"You get beaten from time to time.
"You wouldn't have asked me that questions after the Essendon game, so one week isn't going to make a difference there."
The plucky Suns' three-match winning streak was ended in a jarring 73-point loss to Adelaide.
Before that their four matches had been decided by an AFL-low 11 points in total.
"Over the weekend we let ourselves down, so we look to rectify that," coach Stuart Dew said.
"(But) regardless of results, if we have a really competitive game we'll both walk away happy with the first six weeks and where we (Lions and Suns) both sit in terms of competitiveness in the league."
Australian Associated Press
