GOLD COAST coach Rodney Eade says he is proud of the way his players have kept fighting during a horror 2015 season and is bullish about the AFL club's prospects next year, yet also identified list issues that need to be addressed.



Eade said the club would focus on picking up the best available talent in the upcoming draft, while it would use the trade period to boost its playing stocks in the 22 to 27-year-old age bracket.

"We certainly need to increase our depth in that range of players, that demographic," Eade said.



Five talking points: Sydney Swans v Gold Coast

The Suns ended the year with a 63-point loss to the Sydney Swans at the SCG on Saturday night, having been within 14 points of the 2014 grand finalists in the third quarter before running out of legs in the final term.

Eade said the club has made great strides in 2015 as it battled a lengthy injury list headlined by skipper Gary Ablett for most of the year, alongside some off-field dramas.

However, the veteran coach praised his squad for sticking together during a difficult period.

"We've really made some good inroads and some growth in our culture and our leadership," Eade said.

"You've got to get the basics right, the fundamentals right in any footy team, any sporting team, any business, so we've worked hard on that.

"We've still got a lot of work to do and a lot of effort is required, but with the players back and I think a better fitness program and the way we are going to go ahead, I'm actually quite bullish about where we are heading."



Click here for Rodney Eade's full media conference

The Suns were blown away in the opening term, where the home side booted 6.3 to two behinds, because the players took too many risks and did not follow instructions, Eade said.

It was a different story in the second and third terms however, when the visitors controlled much of the game and brought the margin back to 14 points midway through the third quarter.

Unfortunately for the Suns, they were unable to sustain the effort and were overpowered in the final stanza.

"There were a lot of positives to take out of the game," Eade said.

"I thought we hung in there really well, just got blown apart in the end."

After rising from three wins in 2012 to eight wins in 2013 and 10 victories in 2014, the Suns took a step back in 2015, finishing the home-and-away rounds in 16th spot with four wins and a draw.