Midfielder Jack Martin was among the SUNS’ best on Saturday, doing what he could to try and will Gold Coast to victory.
Martin had 21 touches on the weekend, with his work in the contest – where he had a career-high 15 contested possessions – helping keep the SUNS in the game.
His work during the pre-season has held him in good stead when trying to win the contested footy and it is starting to pay off in games.
“Yeah definitely I did throughout the preseason, I’ve worked a lot more in the midfield on my contested stuff,” Martin told SUNS TV after the game.
“It was a bit surprising (to learn of a career-high for contested possessions), I’ll definitely feel it tomorrow.”
Saturday’s game was within reach for Gold Coast up until the third quarter, when Fremantle’s midfield began to overpower the SUNS.
Martin recognises that the team has plenty to learn out of the game, particularly making sure that the defensive focus doesn’t drop.
“It’s a very tough place to be but I thought we hung in there up until the third quarter.
“That last quarter they sort of ran over us…I feel like defensively we just slipped and we weren’t on, and we paid the price.”
With Gold Coast opting to stay in Perth for the week, the plan will be to mirror that of a regular week at home, albeit in slightly different surroundings.
