On a disappointing afternoon for the Gold Coast SUNS, key forwards Charlie Dixon and Tom Lynch were two of the few shining lights in the 34-point loss to Carlton at Etihad Stadium.
The pair got involved early in the opening quarter and were influential in the contest until Dixon was substituted out of the game with ten minutes to go in the third quarter due to an ankle injury. With his partner in crime out of the game, Lynch’s impact was stifled as the Blues back six found it easy to stop one rather than two.
Lynch booted four goals – his highest haul of the year – to be one of the SUNS' best. The key forward took six marks and registered five inside 50 entries, linking up with Dixon on a couple of occasions to cause Carlton grief. Across the whole of round 13, Lynch, along with St Kilda’s Nick Riewoldt, was the leading inside 50 targets with 12 balls sent in his direction.
Before he came from the ground at the 23rd minute mark of the third term, Dixon was the premier forward in the ground. He demanded attention wherever he went and attracted the ball inside the arc. Dixon finished with 3.2 and recorded four marks inside 50.
Aside from the two keys in attack, the ever-reliable Michael Rischitelli was up to his old tricks again. With minimal support and an opposition midfield being played into form, Rischitelli led from the front like he has been doing all season long. The veteran midfielder finished with a team-high 25 possessions, nine marks, seven tackles and six inside 50s.
Adam Saad produced moments of brilliance as we have become accustomed to during his maiden season. He wasn’t quite as prolific as he has been in previous weeks, but he made smart decisions with the ball and of his 16 possessions, only one of them didn’t hit the target. A moment of pure genius on the wing saw Saad mop up his own mistake, before blind turning out of trouble and darting away.
Who was your best player in round thirteen?
After eleven rounds, stand-in-captain Michael Rischitelli is still out in front on 192 votes, ahead of first-year sensation Adam Saad (148 votes) and Dion Prestia (114 votes).
