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It prevented him shutting down the game and securing a win over Melbourne in the dying seconds, but Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew likes the 6-6-6 rule.

As Gold Coast's coach Stuart Dew was cursing the AFL's 6-6-6 position rule in the dying seconds of Saturday's game with Melbourne.

As a footy fan however, he can grudgingly see its merit.

The requirement on player positions at every centre bounce ensured Dew couldn't just flood his defence as the Suns tried to hang on to a six-point lead in the last 45 seconds of the match at Metricon.

Instead the Demons twice won the ball from the middle and first kicked a goal and then a scrappy behind to steal a one-point win and leave Dew and his players shattered.

Rather than slam the rule's impact on the result, Dew acknowledged it had been the factor which had ensured such a thrilling contest.

"It's pretty raw but take the Gold Coast hat off tonight, I think it's good for footy that there's 18 seconds to go and someone can still win or lose the game," he said.

"I can't believe I just said that but it's fact.

"It looks better. It's better for the game ... not tonight for us but there'll be a time when it's reversal and we get the result because of it.

"I'm sure it was exciting to watch."

The result was the Suns' fifth match decided by less than a goal this season, with three of them ending in victories.

Dew said that ability to stay in the contest is a key element of his forward plans for the club.

"We're really starting to gel, we're eight games in together ... we've had some good live examples where we can take a fair bit from," he said.

"We've come out on top in three and not in two."