The record book shows the Gold Coast conceded the most first quarter points in VFL/AFL history against Essendon last week.

But Gold Coast assistant coach Shaun Hart is convinced an opening-term ambush is the key to the Suns springing an upset over arch rivals Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Hart was the first to admit the Suns were still smarting from being blown away by 139 points by the Bombers last weekend.

Yet it could have been worse - Essendon piled on a remarkable 15.4 to Gold Coast's 0.1 in the first term but couldn't maintain the break-neck scoring rate.

However, Hart believed the Suns' best hope this weekend was jumping the Lions early in their much-anticipated first Queensland AFL derby.

"If we can jump out of the blocks and get into Brisbane's face then we have a great opportunity to be a chance (of winning)," Hart said.

"But they need to show something seriously much better in the first quarter this week.

"The reality is we know games like that are going to happen in 2011.

"We had not hoped that we would get almost 100 points kicked on us in a quarter but the boys know the effort just wasn't good enough.

"They didn't follow the gameplan for one quarter but even the best teams get over-run by a landslide from the opposition and we had that last week."

Hart admitted he was surprised that the Suns (1-4 record) came into their historic opening derby ahead of his former club Lions (0-5) on the AFL ladder - albeit as the second-last team ahead of the dead-last outfit.

"I am a bit (surprised). I might have thought Brisbane would have won a game - they probably deserved to win one or two," said Hart, who won three flags and a Norm Smith Medal with the Lions.

It may be their first official AFL clash, but the Lions grabbed early bragging rights with a 67-point pre-season win at Southport - albeit over a Suns outfit without most of their stars.

But Hart did not believe the Lions could take anything out of the win - and backed his young guns against their hardened Lions opponents in the re-match.

"They (Suns) learnt a fair lesson about work rate that day - that will be a telling point this game," he said.

"Brisbane just outworked us. But they are ready for that now - much more than they were at Southport."

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