After some "tinkering", Wil Powell is confident Gold Coast won't suffer another hangover following their annual Darwin romp.
The Suns won their 10th-straight Top End game by beating Port Adelaide on Friday to complete a 2-0 sweep of their latest venture north.
It moved them to 7-3 and fourth ahead of a trip to Marvel Stadium to face North Melbourne on Saturday.
But the Suns have battled to back up their Darwin exploits in recent seasons, unable to win more than one game in the month following the trip in any of the past four years.
They went 1-3 last year post-Darwin and looked in danger of another fade-out, before winning seven of their last 10 regular-season games to qualify for the club's maiden finals campaign.
Vice-captain Powell said the club's leadership group had spoken about how they needed to approach the next period to avoid the Darwin hangover.
"We've touched on it ... a few things that we might change up during the week just to see what we can do with that," he said on Tuesday.
"But it's just allowing all the players to get a good mental refresh and just get their bodies right early in the week.
"We've tinkered with a few things and defensively as a whole team and a unit, we just look so much more set and that gives us a great base to play offensively as well."
Powell has relished his defensive role in the midfield and backline, complementing the attacking flourishes of in-form pair Daniel Rioli and John Noble.
That duo, alongside the expanding repertoire of Bodhi Uwland, have given the Suns plenty of weaponry out of defence.
"Dan Rioli's probably had his best six weeks in Suns colours," Powell said of the three-time Richmond premiership player.
"He got tagged in the second-half against Port because he was like a man on fire.
"And Bohdi, it's sort of taking teams a bit by surprise as well because he is such an elite ball user as well."
Powell said Ben Long (ankle) and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (ankle) were in the frame after missing the win over the Power.
