So we just need to keep being a bit more, you know, harder on each other in some aspects, and get some basics right with our skills and we will be OK.”

Hewett said a long injury list had allowed the club to blood a larger group of younger players to help fast track their future.

The Blues fielded seven players with fewer than 25 games of experience on Saturday night – Cooper Lord (22 games), Matt Carroll (15), Will White (13), Ashton Moir (nine), Flynn Young (six), Hudson O’Keeffe (three) and Billy Wilson (two).

They were without Charlie Curnow, Sam Walsh, Jack Silvagni, Adam Cerra, Mitch McGovern, Nic Newman, Sam Docherty (retired) and top draft pick Jagga Smith.

“You always look for the positives in the year that you don’t quite make finals, so I think we’ve – you never want injuries, but with the injuries comes opportunities for the young guys,” Hewett said.

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“They’ve taken it with both hands and that’s only going to make our squad stronger in the future.”

The young Blues were full of running in the last term on Saturday night after trailing Gold Coast by 45 points at three-quarter-time.

They closed to within 13 points and had chances to get even closer before the Suns steadied the ship through a goal to spearhead Max King, who booted six majors for the match and was influential in their 19-point win.

“I just don’t think we were playing great the first three quarters,” Hewett said. “Then we finally got some momentum … but we just couldn’t get it done the whole game.”

Hewett said the leadership group had bought into fostering the new talent at Ikon Park.

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“I think they bring excitement and joy,” he said. “We’ve got a table tennis table at the club. We are there until about six o’clock when we finish at three. Just mucking around.

“So we’re a pretty close group. It’s amazing. The boys don’t want to leave the club, which is great.”

For the record, Hewett rates Harry McKay, Curnow and himself as the three masters of the table tennis table.