Jaeger O’Meara has become the No.1 tackler in Gold Coast SUNS history.

O’Meara had a team-high nine tackles in Saturday night’s loss to the Western Bulldogs in Cairns on Saturday night and now averages 5.6 tackles per game.

He’s gone beyond Gary Ablett, who averages 5.4 tackles per game.

O’Meara’s strong tackling effort against the Dogs also saw him become the first SUNS player this season to reach 100 tackles, and has him on track to post the highest single-season tackling total in club history.

Ablett boasts the highest mark of 119 in 2011, followed by Michael Rischitelli’s 114 in 2011, O’Meara’s own 111 in his 2013 debut season, Jared Brennan’s 110 in 2011, and Ablett’s 110 in 2012.

If O’Meara maintains anything close to his game average through the rest of the home-and-away season he’ll rocket to the top of the single-season list.

O’Meara already leads the 2014 tackle count with 100 from Ablett (90), David Swallow (76), Dion Prestia (69) and Jarrod Harbrow (63).

On a tackles per game basis, Jesse Lonergan (4.5) and Kyal Horsley (4.5) are next best behind O’Meara (5.6) and Ablett (5.4), followed by Rischitelli (4.4), Tom Nicholls (4.3), Dion Prestia (4.0) and Brennan (4.0).

On a disappointing night for the SUNS in Cairns, O’Meara was a statistical standout. He also had an equal team-high 22 possessions and a team-high 12 contested possessions.

In other noteworthy statistical milestones and achievements:-

• Steven May became the 16th SUNS player and the 10th youngest to reach 50 games for the club at 22 yeas 186 days. David Swallow remains the SUNS’ youngest 50-gamer at 20 years 264 days.
• Dion Prestia’s 22 possessions saw him become the 2nd player in SUNS history to top 1500. He now has 1507 to trail only Gary Ablett (2416). Others beyond 1000 are Jarrod Harbrow (1447), Danny Stanley (1410), David Swallow n(1383), Harley Bennell (1291), Trent McKenzie (1248), Michael Rischitelli (1187) and Matt Shaw (1052).
• Danny Stanley now sits outright 2nd on the list of most consecutive games. Jaeger O’Meara shows the way with 38 in a row, while Stanley (34) is now one game ahead of Trent McKenzie (33) after McKenzie missed the trip to Cairns with a hamstring injury, ending a run which began in Round 5 2013.
• Matt Shaw was the starting substitute for a 6th time. This equals the mark of Josh Toy, Jack Hutchins and Alex Sexton, and behind only Luke Russell (12).
• Luke Russell was an emergency selection for the 10th time. He equals the tally of Liam Patrick and Murphy, and is only behind Jeremy Taylor (11).
• Sam Day, used as spare man in defence at times, had an equal career-best 11 contested possessions. He also had two contested marks to become the 4th SUNS player to 50 contested marks overall behind Tom Lynch (98), Danny Stanley (53) and Charlie Dixon (52).
• With Trent McKenzie missing through injury, Danny Stanley slipped past him to the top of the club’s all-time mark count. Stanley now has a career total of 345 after five marks against the Dogs. McKenzie has 344.
• Charlie Dixon’s two contested marks inside 50 on Saturday night gave him a career total of 50. He’s the 4th SUNS player to the half-century beyond Tom Lynch (90), Harley Bennell (53) and Campbell Brown (51).
• Rory Thompson played 100% of game time for the 6th time in his career. This saw him pull level with Nathan Bock, and leaves only Matthew Warnock, who has played nine full games, ahead of him.
• Kade Kolodjashnij’s hamstring injury, likely to sideline him for at least the next two games, will end his time as an 18-year-old SUNS player. He’ll turn 19 on 9 August. Kolodjashnij has played 14 games for 257 possessions and 4 goals. David Swallow has been the standout 18-year-old, playing 21 games for 413 possessions and 11 goals. Dion Prestia played 17 games as an 18-year-old for 280 possessions and 1 goal, Harley Bennell played 14 games for 246 possessions and 14 goals, and Tom Lynch played 13 games for a club-high 15 goals. Already, though, “KK” has had more than twice as many wins as any other SUNS 18-year-old. He’s sung the SUNS song seven times. Next best at this age were Swallow and Timmy Sumner (3).
• The SUNS’ team possession count against the Dogs of 305 was the equal 5th lowest all-time. The club’s lowest total was 276 against West Coast in Perth in 2012.