Gold Coast midfielder Brayden Fiorini believes trust, more than talent, will be the key attribute for the Suns in the 2022 AFL season.
A first-ever victory over West Coast in Perth in round one was a great start for the Suns, who face as daunting a challenge as there is in the competition this weekend when they host premiers Melbourne.
The return of ruckman Jarrod Witts after missing most of last season with an ACL injury was huge in the 27-point win over the Eagles.
With gun youngster Matt Rowell seemingly back to his best after his own injury woes and newly appointed co-captain Touk Miller continuing the form that secured him a maiden All-Australian nod last year, Fiorini is hugely confident this year could finally be when the Suns make a serious tilt at finals football.
"I feel like there's a lot of trust there, especially in that midfield group, that everyone can just show up and do their bit and share the load," Fiorini told AAP.
"Wittsy's a really big one. We probably didn't realise how significant and important his role is for us until he went down last year.
"To have him back out there, just that presence out there, I think he makes a lot of the boys around him walk a bit taller out there.
"We've got a good group there and as I said before a lot of trust and we just want to keep building it week-in, week-out."
Fiorini himself was among the Suns' best in last Sunday's triumph at Optus Stadium, picking up 24 disposals and a game-high nine inside 50s.
It's a fair start for a player who has spent a lot of time on the fringes in the past two seasons following off-season groin surgery in 2019.
Last year he had to wait until round 16 before getting on the park for the Suns but believes that experience has made him hungrier and more resilient as a player and a person.
"I wouldn't say it was a wake-up call because it was just more a little bit of a reality check," Fiorini said.
"It gave me a good opportunity to just work on my game and build that mental and physical resilience in the end.
"Had a pretty good pre-season and didn't miss too much through there. Hopefully it sets me up for a good year."
