After such an even spread of contribution just seven days earlier, the Gold Coast SUNS’ performance against the Western Bulldogs at Cazaly’s Stadium was left to too few. Only a handful of players walked away from the Cairns clash with their reputations enhanced after the SUNS were overrun and outworked by a hungrier side who are on a path to September.
Dual Brownlow medallist Gary Ablett continued his strong return from injury with another sizeable output. The Gold Coast captain finished the night with another haul of 30 possessions, including 14 contested touches, as well as eight clearances, eight inside 50s, six tackles and 750 metres gained. He wasn’t quite at his majestic best, but he overcame any doubts regarding his conditioning with a strong finish to the game that included 11 final-term touches.
Kade Kolodjashnij picked up where he left off last week. The classy left-footer was instrumental in setting the SUNS up in the opening half, collecting 19 possessions by the main break, before finishing the night with a career-high 30 disposals. Kolodjashnij has been forced to carry the load for the best part of the year down back, but in recent weeks, with the support around him lifting, the Tasmanian has flourished.
Had Charlie Dixon not gone down in the opening term, would the result have been different? Possibly. One man that stepped up in his absence and responded after a quiet game against North Melbourne was Tom Lynch. The emerging leader was close to having a dominant night, with a few opportunities falling short, slipping between his hands or hitting the post. Lynch finished with 16 possessions, nine marks – six contested grabs – four inside 50s and 2.3.
The ruck duel between Tom Nicholls and Will Minson was one of the more intriguing battles of the night with the Gold Coast ruckman playing a telling role in the SUNS dominance around the stoppages. Neither ruckman routed the other, although Nicholls work once the ball hit the ground was influential. He finished with 12 possessions, five clearances and five tackles to go with his 30 hitouts to be a key contributor in the SUNS loss.
Who was your best player in round fifteen?
After 14 rounds, veteran midfielder Michael Rischitelli remains the runaway leader for the Fans Player of the Year on 227 votes, ahead of Adam Saad (169 votes) and Charlie Dixon (134 votes).
