'We're not there yet': rebuilt Suns search for new high

Damien Hardwick admits Gold Coast's recruitment has caused early-season regression but that the pieces are coming back together as they aim to stop a two-game losing skid when they take on Essendon.

The Suns began the AFL season in a blaze with three comfortable wins, but have since been outgunned in the midfield in losses to Melbourne and Sydney.

The Bombers snapped a 17-game losing streak with a win over the Demons last week and will lob at Carrara with their tails up on Saturday.

"Looking forward to playing a better brand of football than we have," Hardwick said.

"We've learned some lessons and looking forward to a bit of redemption ... against a side that had an outstanding win.

"The very best play a consistent brand of football, and we're not there yet."

Last year the Suns played finals - and won a classic against Fremantle in the first week - for the first time in their 15-season history.

But Hardwick saw a need to recruit to take them to the next level, bringing Christian Petracca from Melbourne and former No.1 pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan from the Western Bulldogs.

Without Brownlow Medallist Matt Rowell (finger), Petracca was outstanding in the first two weeks before suffering a hamstring injury that kept him out of the past two games.

Ugle-Hagan, who didn't play at all last year, was in solid form at VFL level before opting for minor knee surgery. He will return in the VFL this weekend.

Key forward Jed Walter is pushing for a permanent AFL role, while the return of key defender Charlie Ballard from a long-term knee injury has also given the Suns options.

Hardwick used fellow tall Mac Andrew in the ruck against the Swans last week, a move he admitted was never in his initial plans.

"It excited me, it did," the coach said.

"And that's the great thing about great players; it can make you change what your thought process might have been."

Hardwick said the new-look outfit, which will be without captain Noah Anderson (appendix) on Saturday but welcome back Bailey Humphrey from suspension, was still a work in progress.

"We were short (last season) so we thought we had to ... bring in some talent that we think will take us forward," he said.

"And sometimes you go one step back to go two steps forward.

"That two steps forward can happen very, very quickly.

"But we're still trying to find what that right side looks like.

"We want to make sure that, come the middle part to back end of the year, we're playing our best footy and picking our best side."