The heat on Suns coach Guy McKenna has risen with the Gold Coast board demanding a full and immediate review of their football department.
Under pressure following the club's limp finish to the AFL season, McKenna faced the Coast's directors on Thursday night but was given no clarity about his future.
The board will sit again within a fortnight when they receive the outcomes of the review which is to be overseen by football operations manager Marcus Aschcroft.
Suns chairman John Witheriff said that the board wanted a review of all elements of the football department after they missed the finals by losing six of their last seven matches.
Contracted for a further 12 months, McKenna is the foundation coach at the expansion club and has overseen a steady improvement since being admitted to the league four years ago.
But he is vulnerable after his young team spiralled to 12th after being entrenched in the top eight for the first 15 rounds.
The Suns started impressively to be 7-2, and was also 9-6 before skipper Gary Ablett suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a courageous win over Collingwood at Metricon Stadium.
Witheriff said the club had plenty to be proud of this year, including increases in crowds, membership, sponsorship and corporate hospitality but were setting a higher bar.
"The football team has delivered great wins this season on the field, and we are keen as a club to take the next step towards greater success," Witheriff said in a club statement.
"The football review announced by the board will assist in making decisions about season 2015.
"As a young club we should be very proud, but our members and the Gold Coast community deserve to see us aiming higher every year.
"This review will give us the information we need to make the right decisions."
The club has outlined coaching, high performance, welfare and administration, list management and recruitment, and their academy and second-tier team as areas to be reviewed.
Speculation surrounding McKenna's position has intensified after rumours of player unrest emerged following the loss of 10 of their last 13 games.
The former West Coast premiership captain led the Suns to three wins in their debut season in 2011, three again in 2012, eight last year and 10 this season to have an overall record of 24 victories from 88 matches.
McKenna spoke after he fronted the board on Thursday, but before the club announced the review.
"I was comfortable with the outcome, that's for sure," McKenna told Channel Nine's The Footy Show.
"I'm comfortable knowing that I will be there next year - because there is a contract."
But he also referred to Wednesday's sacking of Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson, who had two years left on his deal.
"Given the current landscape, that's tough, but I presented to the board and that's all you can do.
"Everything is in the lap of the board."
After the board meeting, Suns chairman John Witheriff did not guarantee that McKenna would still be coach next season.
"I'm not going to pre-empt the report," Witheriff said.
"I'm just simply not to make any comment about the report."
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