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Tattooed Australians can now give blood a week after getting fresh ink, thanks to a rule change that could see as many as 10,000 extra donations each year.

Previously, inked up donors had to wait four months to give blood after getting their tattoo.

But as of Monday, the wait time has been reduced to a week.

The new rules apply only to tattoos received in licensed Australian tattoo parlours or cosmetic clinics.

People who received tattoos in unlicensed or overseas premises will still need to wait four months before donating.

With one in four Aussies now inked, Lifeblood executive director of Donor Experience Cath Stone said the change will boost blood donations.

"We're thrilled that from today we can welcome thousands of eligible tattooed donors who would previously have had to wait four months to donate blood," Ms Stone said.

"You can now donate blood just seven days after a new tattoo, or you can donate plasma straightaway, without any wait period at all.

"We want to make sure everyone knows being inked doesn't disqualify them from donating."

She said close to 10,000 donors report one or more tattoos a year to Lifeblood, so the rule change could result in around 10,000 extra blood donations each year.

© AAP 2023

Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew says the Suns' moment of truth could be upon them after knocking off Hawthorn to again sit on the cusp of the AFL's top eight.

Fresh off a horror thumping from Carlton last week, things looked dire when the Hawks booted the first three goals.

But it was one-way traffic once Ben Ainsworth eventually got the Suns on the board in a 14.17 (101) to 5.4 (34) win at Heritage Bank Stadium on Sunday.

It was a crash back to earth for the usually plucky Hawks (4-10), who registered their lowest score since 2020 - two weeks after upsetting Brisbane.

Victory improved the Suns to 7-7 and just outside the eight on percentage ahead of Saturday's home game against ladder leaders Collingwood (12-2).

They face Port Adelaide (12-2) a week later, in what looms as a massive fortnight for a club without a finals appearance since its AFL inception in 2011.

"We'll get some information won't we?," Dew said of the looming Magpies challenge.

"Anytime you can play the best as a measuring stick and see where we stack up.

"They're clearly potent but we want to make sure we play our brand as well and test that."

That ambition was looking shaky as the sun set in Carrara on Sunday until the Suns kicked four straight goals to lead by 10 points at halftime.

A quick-fire Ben King double cancelled out Luke Breust's goal to begin the second half and broke the game open.

When Noah Anderson (28 disposals, two goals) and Matt Rowell showed composure with calm handballs to set up David Swallow it was a 30-point game and the Suns finally had the margin that reflected their territorial dominance.

That superiority came when the Suns, beaten to the punch early in the game, lifted their defensive intensity to lock the Hawks in and force regular turnovers to the relief of the 14,242-strong crowd.

The Suns skipped further ahead in a one-sided final quarter, a Malcolm Rosas clicking his heels to celebrate the second of three final-quarter majors.

"We don't chalk up anything to an anomaly," Hawks coach Sam Mitchell said.

"We know there's going to be steps forward and some will be very, very small.

"At the moment I can't find too many positives out of today.

"We had won three out of four, feeling like we were moving along pretty well and then today was a reality check."

Hawthorn had seven free kicks to the Suns' one late in the first quarter and Mitch Lewis was on-song with two early goals.

But the Suns didn't panic, Lachie Weller (12 touches) getting involved in his return from injury before being tactically subbed out at three-quarter time.

Recalled veteran Brandon Ellis also booted a goal in his first game since round 10, while Brayden Fiorini (35 touches), Sam Flanders and Ainsworth ensured it wasn't just the usual suspects carrying the load.

Blake Hardwick had a game-high 38 disposals for Hawthorn, while Jack Scrimshaw (31), Will Day (28) battled hard for Mitchell.

© AAP 2023

Gold Coast interim coach Jim Lenihan says he is forever grateful to Justin Holbrook, which is why it was with pleasure and pain that he reflected on a first-up win in the hot seat.

The 50-year-old guided the Titans to a vital 18-12 win over Brisbane just three days after his close friend and former colleague Holbrook was sacked as head coach.

Holbrook gave Lenihan his chance as an NRL assistant after he had proved a success in the Queensland Cup, where he guided the Burleigh Bears to two premiership wins.

"It wasn't easy at all. Justin is a really good mate," Lenihan said.

"He brought me in and gave me an opportunity at the Titans which I will be forever grateful for. He brought other players and staff in.

"The place got tipped upside down this week. The way we dealt with it, had to move on, processed it and came out with a win like that today was really pleasing."

The way his side dealt with the news, refocused and got the job done was a credit to them and to their new coach.

It said a lot about the group that they were able to hang on. While they led 16-6 at Suncorp Stadium, they had also given up four double-digit leads through the season.

Not this time.

"I think we have been criticised for fading away or falling away," Lenihan said.

"For us to defend our way to the end of the game was really pleasing. That is what we have got to keep working our way towards and try and become a side that does that more frequently."

The Titans did it without captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, who was rested after playing for Queensland in the State of Origin series.

Titans stand-in captain AJ Brimson signed his contract extension under Holbrook and said he had also struggled with the week's dramas, which culminated in two-time premiership coach Des Hasler being appointed as Titans mentor from 2024.

"It was obviously a bit of a shock coming in Thursday after the highs of being in (Queensland) camp," he said.

"I thought Jimmy kept it quite simple ... and it was handled as well as it could be after we found out that news.

"We spoke as staff and the playing group that we are all in this together now. We spoke before the game that we want to make our club proud, our fans proud and do ourselves proud."

The Titans as a collective certainly did that and are now on 20 competition points and still in the finals hunt.

"I knew from yesterday's training that we were going to put in a good performance and had each other's back," Brimson said.

"It is easy to get up against all the adversity. We've got to continue. We are in a great position. We have a lot of home games coming up to (help us) play finals footy. That is where our minds are at."

© AAP 2023