Experience and talent gulf the difference

It was always going to be a colossal assignment. An in-form West Coast outfit, on their own patch, and a Gold Coast side crucified by injury. The gulf in talent and experience was telling on Saturday night, with the result being slightly prettier than it looked like being, particularly given the fact the Eagles led by 102 points at the final break. On a miserable night at Domain Stadium, the Eagles dominated possession (448-309), inside 50s (+43) and marks inside 50 (+12) to propel them to a commanding 92-point victory. With so much experience and class unavailable through injury and suspension, Gold Coast was severely depleted heading across to Perth. The sight of injured trio Jaeger O’Meara, David Swallow and Tom Lynch in the rooms before the bounce was a reminder of how cruel this game can be at times. Whilst Lynch should return to face Collingwood this weekend, O’Meara won’t be back this year and Swallow is still a couple of months away. No sides in the competition, no matter how mighty, could cope with such a comprehensive injury toll.

Nicholls comeback building momentum by the week

In the last few seasons, he has shown glimpses of his potential before succumbing to injury. But on Saturday night, in just his fourth game back from season-ending knee surgery last year, Tom Nicholls produced the most effective performance since his return – and one of the best of his 19-game career. Up against the ever-dangerous Nic Naitanui, the SUNS ruckman willed his way to victory against his highly fancied opponent. Nicholls’ numbers don’t leap off the page but it was the manner in which he performed that was impressive. His urgency around the stoppages was evident from the opening bounce and when you consider he finished with 11 tackles, his night was based around pure effort. His tap work was damaging too, with his 31 hitouts – 11 to advantage (ranked 5th for the round) – providing the Gold Coast engine room with quality service that led to a landslide win in the clearances (+21). The Victorian appears to be building momentum by the week, and given the sorry state of affairs at Metricon Stadium, his form is crucial in leading a mid-season resurgence.

Bennell leapt out of the blocks to send strong message

The performance of Harley Bennell on Saturday night was always going to draw forensic examination after his recent disciplinary issues. And he responded in a resounding fashion in the opening term. Bennell collected 10 first quarter disposals, playing with a heightened level of desire. In hardly ideal conditions for disposal efficiency, the West Australian turned the ball over at times, but his performance drew praise from Rodney Eade in the post-match press conference. He finished the game on the bench with ice strapped to his knee, spending the majority of the final term out of the game. At this stage, it doesn’t appear that he will miss any football, but given the unforgiving injury curse that has penetrated the Gold Coast all season, only a brave man would suggest that he would be 100 per cent certain of taking his place this weekend. Despite only playing 67 per cent of the game, Bennell finished with 23 possessions and six inside 50s to be one of the SUNS more influential performers against the Eagles.

Another week, another dependable performance from Prestia and Rischitelli

As per usual, Dion Prestia and Michael Rischitelli produced dependable performances against the Eagles on Saturday night. In conditions that suited their games, the pair was part of only a small contingency that made sizeable contributions in Perth. Mr Consistency, Prestia, kept his ultra-consistent season on track by collecting 27 possessions, 11 clearances and nine tackles to continue his brilliant start to 2015. Across the first seven games of the season, the 22-year-old has still not had fewer than 27 disposals or greater than 29. Ultra-consistent. Prestia now leads the entire competition by seven clearances after seven games with an average of nine per outing. In the absence of leaders, Rischitelli filled the void once again; leading by the front in another business-like effort that typifies the way he approaches the game. He gathered 26 possessions, seven clearances and a game-high 12 tackles. Whilst Rischitelli’s disposal efficiency wasn’t great, the conditions were far from helpful for clean disposal.

Hallahan rolls his sleeves up and gets to work

Mitch Hallahan was a late inclusion on Saturday night and he played the first quarter like he had a message to send. The former Hawk laid five tackles in the first stanza alone, before finishing with 11 for the game. The conditions undoubtedly suited his combative style, allowing him to play to his strengths around the ball. On a dark night for the SUNS, Hallahan demonstrated how destructive he can be by collecting a whopping 15 clearances - four more than any other player across the entire round. Like the majority of his teammates, his ball use wasn’t great, but you couldn’t fault his endeavour. It hasn’t been the start to his time on the Gold Coast that he would have envisaged, but if Eade’s side is going to fight back in 2015, the SUNS need more from Hallahan. Saturday night was a strong starting point.

Miller's rise continues in Perth

One of the stories of the season to date has been the rise of Touk Miller. In the face of adversity, the teenager stood up once again on Saturday to be one of the SUNS' best performers. If we were privy to the best and fairest count right now, it would be no surprise to see the Victorian right near the top. His tenacity and appetite for the contest have been the cornerstones of his game to date. Key ingredients that have seen him emerge as one of the few success stories during a tumultuous start to the season in southern Queensland. On Saturday night, Miller was once again ferocious in his harassment of the opposition, and collected 21 possessions and eight tackles to grind out another solid showing in his debut season. You get the feeling that he is not far away from producing a performance that puts the competition on notice. A four-quarter effort that puts him firmly in the discussion of Rising Star contention. With so much experience and class sitting in the stands at the moment, his feats must hold even extra weight than normal.