Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew is demanding "absolute effort" from his players after the Suns' messy public break-up with AFL free agent Tom Lynch.
The Suns head to the MCG on Sunday to face Melbourne in a game that has been thoroughly overshadowed by confirmation Lynch will return to Victoria.
Lynch told teammates of his decision on Thursday and was promptly stripped of his captaincy, with the saga also dominating headlines the following day.
Suns chief Mark Evans criticised Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley for publicly revealing he had met the star forward, while debate raged about whether Lynch's likely move to Richmond or the Magpies was proof free agency only helped stronger teams.
Ruckman Jarrod Witts, who has played just 76 career games, will lead the Suns in the absence of Lynch (knee), co-captain Steven May (suspended) and David Swallow (concussion).
With sixth-placed Melbourne eyeing a long-awaited finals berth, the odds are heavily stacked against the 17th-placed Suns.
Dew is nonetheless expecting his charges to shut out the distractions of the past week and deliver a contest, regardless of the result.
"Every week's tough," he told reporters.
"Tom has missed a lot of footy this year and we've won games without Tom. We'd love Steven May out there - he's not out there.
"The group of players that have got the opportunity to wear the guernsey on the weekend, all we're asking is absolute effort to give ourselves an opportunity to win."
The decision to strip Lynch of the captaincy raised eyebrows given the 25-year-old has been ruled out for the rest of the season with injury.
Evans said Lynch was welcome to attend Gold Coast's best-and-fairest awards and would be helped with his rehabilitation but would otherwise spend no time at the club.
"He's been sitting in the coaches' box for a couple of games. It's not quite right that he does that anymore," Evans said.
"It's not quite right that he sits in a leadership meeting ... an opposition analysis meeting or a game review.
"It does actually become awkward. It's a bit like breaking up with your boyfriend or girlfriend - it's not quite the same."
