Damien Hardwick is treating the next week as a "two-game season" as Gold Coast attempt to scratch a 15-year AFL itch.
The Suns (14-7) can lock up the club's first top-eight berth with a win against Port Adelaide in coach Ken Hinkley's final game in charge on Friday.
A clash with Essendon, postponed due to a cyclone before round one, follows on Wednesday.
Win both and the Suns could finish in the top four.
Gold Coast have never finished higher than 12th since their 2011 AFL admission.
Hardwick, lured back to coaching from a brief spell after steering Richmond to three flags, has been stressing to his players the importance of not looking too far ahead during the club's most successful campaign.
A loss to GWS last weekend knocked the Suns back to ninth, and on Wednesday Hardwick took a slight departure from the script.
"It's a two-game season for us," he said.
"We're obviously out of the eight at the moment, looking to win both games. We know the situation we're in ... really important this week."
Hinkley will finish his 13-season tenure at the Power, while three-time All Australian Travis Boak will also call time on his 19-year career.
Hardwick has urged his men to "lean into it" at an Adelaide Oval venue where they are winless in 12 visits and that is sure to be pulsating.
"Enormous occasion; there's going to be a lot of emotion ... a high-octane game," Hardwick said.
"Ken's an incredible coach and he's a guy that I hugely admire, the way he's gone about it.
"It's a shame that he hasn't quite got the the plaudits, I think, that he deserves.
"Every time you play Port Adelaide, you know you're up for a hell of a fight, so I think he's done an incredible job."
Suns midfielder Alex Davies had his one-game suspension downgraded to a fine, but Port star Ollie Wines wasn't as fortunate and will miss the clash.
Hardwick said both Bailey Humphrey (knee) and Will Graham (hamstring) were close to returns, but would not be rushed back.
But Daniel Rioli (leg) could be a vital inclusion this week, while foundation player David Swallow (knee), injured playing in the VFL a fortnight ago, is also training this week in a push to feature.
The coach thought their lacklustre loss to the Giants on Saturday was a blip.
"Our intensity was just well down and well off," Hardwick said.
"When we showed the guys the vision (of their best football), it looked like we were playing it in fast-forward compared to what we did last week."
