Forward pressure is almost more important to Timmy Sumner than kicking goals. The explosive 19-year-old thinks he has some room to improve but is more than ready to take on the 2014 season.

Sumner has been a demon on the training track this season, but it has been his repeat efforts throughout each of the club’s modified match simulations that has the Gold Coast coaching staff licking their lips ahead of the NAB Challenge series. 

It’s a barometer Sumner says held him back from reaching his peak at the end of the 2013, but an area he believes can help him cement his spot as a regular source of goals for the Gold Coast SUNS this year.

“A big learning point for me this summer was forward line pressure and my endurance,” he said. 

“I kept finding myself late in the season too unfit to play the position (small forward) and not completing the chase downs I should have been.

“My game wasn’t capable of competing against the competition’s other small forwards but that is something I have been looking to really build this pre-season and it’s tracking alright so far.”

Excitingly, the South Australian has bettered his 2km time trials throughout the entire pre-season, a sign of his significant off-field progress under the club’s experience high performance team. 

“My time trials have been improving each session, and I’m getting personal bests which have been great.”

Aaron Hall led all defensive efforts in the GC SUNS forward arc in 2013, but he can expect help from his fellow goal-sneak this season.

“My goal leading into 2014 is to really focus on my forward line pressure and also the offensive side of the game like my spread, run and carry.

“I just want to play as many games as I can and continually put my hand up for senior selection.”