Despite his axing by Gold Coast, Guy McKenna believes he still has what it takes to succeed as an AFL coach.

The 45-year-old was given his marching orders by the Suns on Wednesday despite having a year left to run on his contract amid rumours he’d lost the confidence of the playing group.

The official line is McKenna simply wasn’t seen by the board as the man who could take the club to the next level, particularly with two-time premiership winning coach Mark Thompson on their radar.

A two-time premiership player with West Coast and a former assistant coach at Collingwood before taking on the Suns’ job, McKenna said the decision hadn’t dulled his desire.

“I haven’t lost my ability to coach. I certainly haven’t lost my passion or intensity to coach,” he said.

“I’d still love to do that … I’m as keen and eager as anything.”

McKenna said it was too early to know whether he’ll put his hand up for the currently vacant Adelaide coaching position but would the Crows want him?

McKenna won 24 of 88 games at the Suns, the majority of wins coming in the last two seasons as the team’s young list matured.

But as the Suns’ boys became men, so too did rumours of rebellion against their father figure coach.

McKenna denied he’d lost the dressing room, but a widely reported falling out with Jarrod Harbrow did little to quell the feeling not all was well behind closed doors.

Former Sun Jared Brennan certainly didn’t hold back when he heard the news of McKenna’s sacking.

“So I just heard bluey got the flick….damn, a year late

,” Brennan said on Twitter.

“In all seriousness though, feel for the players that didn’t get the chance to develop and excel because of his stubbornness and one-minded ways.”

In the end though the biggest question mark over McKenna’s coaching credentials was the Suns’ poor finish to their promising 2014 campaign.

Having been in contention for a maiden finals appearance all year, a season-ending shoulder injury to Gary Ablett in round 16 sparked a run of one win from seven rounds as the Suns slipped to a 12th place finish.

McKenna seemed powerless to find a winning combination without the superstar skipper, seemingly exposing his coaching flaws without the dual Brownlow Medallist to rely on and prompting a end-of-year review which ultimately cost him his job.