The continued emergence of Tom Lynch as a genuine superstar of the AFL competition was a major talking point to come from Gold Coast’s 21-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at Metricon Stadium on Thursday.

Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton said three weeks ago the SUNS spearhead was the best player in the AFL, with champion Lion Jonathan Brown making the same declaration in late 2016.

After an All Australian season in 2016 that delivered 66 goals, Lynch put the reigning premiers to the sword in the opening half in the final round of the JLT Series with five goals and a goal assist.

And although he wasn’t able to impact the game as much as he would have liked in the second half, all the signs were there to suggest 2017 will be another huge year for the Victorian.

Lynch’s importance to the SUNS is undisputed, but it extends far more than his contested marking and goalkicking prowess.

Elevated to the position of captain alongside Steven May this season, the 24-year-old’s development in the leadership space hasn’t gone unnoticed within the four walls of Metricon Stadium with experienced recruit Michael Barlow full of praise for his skipper.

“The ilk he’s already held across the competition for such a young forward, the hardest position to play in the game,” Barlow told SUNS TV post-game.

READ: What Barlow learnt form Gaz in JLT3

“It’s one of those positions you’re going to have days where you’re just going horribly and you’ve got to keep your head up.

“Credit to him, obviously joint captains with ‘Maysie’, they were really deflated with the way we finished. So they’re not resting on their laurels of playing quite well and not getting results.

“I’m nothing but impressed with him as a player but also as a leader.”