Gold Coast forward Tom Lynch said the SUNS' players feel as though they let an opportunity to play finals slip because of inconsistent performances in the second half of the season.

He said the performance against Essendon showed what the team was capable of, and made being out of the finals race a bitter pill to swallow.

"We're sort of kicking ourselves a bit because we have put in some pretty ordinary performances," Lynch told AFL.com.au.

"If we'd played like we did today we would have given ourselves a much better chance to be up in the finals race."

The SUNS lost to Essendon by 19 points, but fought back in the second half to hit the front in the last quarter when Lynch kicked his fourth goal for the game, and his 43rd for the season.

Lynch was disappointed but said the experience would be invaluable in 2015.

"It's a bloody hard competition," Lynch said.

"[We] let ourselves down in certain games and put in some ordinary performances, and we know going into next year you have got to turn up to play every game and really put in to the best of your ability."

Lynch has been a standout player for the SUNS during the season and, despite having his colours lowered in the first half by Essendon's Michael Hurley, he still managed to take eight marks and kick four goals.

SUNS' coach Guy McKenna praised the 21-year-old who stands at 199cm and has strong hands.

"Tom Lynch did 68 percent of a pre-season and he just continues to amaze me with his work rate," McKenna said.

"He is a fighter. He is a competitor and he has been fantastic in the period of eight weeks where we have not been playing great football. You can certainly say he has got his hands on the flag and he has waved it has hard as he possibly can."

Lynch said despite the disappointment at missing finals, he was pleased with the team's effort against Essendon.

"We had a crack," Lynch said.