It was a performance that would have garnered the attention of competition defences everywhere.

On one occasion, Matt Shaw found himself at the edge of the centre square, searching for a target.

In the first instance, Sam Day charged into open space, only to have his lead negated by All-Australian full back Scott Thompson.

Power forward Charlie Dixon broke loose after shaking off his opposing player, but his presentation was thwarted as a second Kangaroo pulled back to block his zone area.

Left with option number three, Shaw opts to send the ball to the top of the goal square. There, the Sherrin finds its way in to the hands of a leaping Tom Lynch, who takes the strong overhead mark before converting the goal from directly in front.

It must be moments like this that re-affirm Guy McKenna’s belief that playing three talls in the forward line is the way forward for his team.  

Sunday’s game was the first time Dixon, Day and Lynch have each kicked multiple goals in the same game.  Between them they had a total of 14 marks and eight scoring opportunities, with Lynch plucking five contested marks.

The vice-captain stood taller than any other key-position player, while Dixon did most of the damage on the scoreboard, kicking three six-pointers alongside small dynamo Brandon Matera.

What might be just as frightening for opposition teams, though Gary Ablett still topped the scoresheet (in addition to the possession count) with a four-goal haul display on an afternoon when Levi Greenwood did a sterling job in not letting him get off the leash.

When asked to appraise his key tall trio's performance, McKenna's outlook was simple - a sustained high performance plan is beginning to bear fruit.

"They now have a body strong enough and capable of competing against defenders," McKenna said,

Given the uniqueness of their list establishment, the fourth-year SUNS mentor said the club has had to take a different route in developing their long-term forward prospects.

"All our numbers say they've tracked just as well as Tom Hawkins at Geelong," he stated.

"When Tom (Hawkins) came into the competition, he had a James Podsiadly and a Cameron Mooney next to him. Well Tom (Lynch) has had Sam Day and Charlie Dixon alongside him, when we have been able to have the three together.

"They've never had someone to cop the All Australian full-back, if you like. It's been tough in our infancy, but now they’re able to wrestle with the big boys."

A true workhorse by trade, McKenna said there was plenty to like about Lynch's continued rise at the centre half-forward position, going as far as likening the Victorian to St Kilda champion and Gold Coast product, Nick Riewoldt.

"Of the three talls he has been the one, and while the rest have had 2-3 pre-seasons he had had one-and-half," McKenna said.

"His work-rate has been exceptional and you look at one of the hardest centre half-forwards in Nick Riewoldt, and he is down that path.

"When he gets fit and fills out, I pity the defender that will have to mark him because they will be in for a torrid time because his work rate is exceptional."

The forward line has also made the most of a greater amount of footy heading their way.  The SUNS sit fourth for inside 50s with an average of 54.9 per game, which is just behind front-runners Port Adelaide, Hawthorn and Geelong.

Compare that to their 2013 tally of 49.6 entries a game and 2012's effort of 42.3 entries a game and you begin to see why Lynch, Day and Dixon are causing all sorts of problems for opposition backmen.

"I'd like to pursue that three-pronged attack because I know one of them is going to get off the chain," McKenna said.

"Most sides have one good tall defender and maybe a second handy second defender, but the third or the fourth one will get spat out, I think.

"We're certainly starting to see those boys come of age, which is exciting."