Rarely has a side endured such a catastrophic injury toll in the game’s history; never has one wiped out an entire first choice midfield. That is the reality at the Gold Coast SUNS this season, although in the last fortnight two players have put their hands up as genuine options moving forward: Jesse Lonergan and Aaron Hall.
 
Despite Brisbane’s underwhelming season, the Lions midfield – minus the injured Dayne Beams – is their main asset. On Saturday night, an inexperienced and undermanned SUNS engine room fought gallantly once again, with Lonergan and Hall leading the way to draw praise from Rodney Eade in his post mortem.
 
Inside midfielder Lonergan was handed the role of running with Tom Rockliff, not in a purely shut down job, rather a nullifying role. After a slow start he reduced the Brisbane skipper’s influence and collected a game-high ten clearances to go with his 18 possessions.
 
“I think that’s a couple in a row now. I thought he started slowly, [Tom] Rockliff had eight or nine early, even though they weren’t metres gained as much they were little possessions,” Eade told the media following the SUNS 14-point win in Saturday night’s QClash 10.
 
“I thought after quarter-time he tightened right up and won some crucial ball at times.
 
“He’s learning the game… incrementally I think. Some players take a big leap at times, he’s got incrementally got better each game, even down back.
 
“I think his work in the midfield, starting with the Adelaide game when he went on [Scott] Thompson after half-time, he did very well and did well against and this is another step forward. When the key midfielders come back you think he can play in the midfield.”
 
During a dour post-match evaluation, Eade saved the lion’s share of his praise for journeyman Hall. After being dropped twice earlier in the year, the 24-year-old half-forward has worked his way into the year, and for the third consecutive week he has equalled or bettered his career-high possession tally.
 
On Saturday night, Hall produced the finest performance of his career, collecting 28 disposals, eight inside 50s, five tackles and three goal assists. Behind Marcus Ashcroft medallist Tom Lynch, he was the best player on the ground, not only according to the voting, but also in the eyes of Eade.
 
“I thought Aaron was probably our second best player tonight – he really gave us some drive,” Eade said.
 
“He responded as well in that Adelaide game. He has (taken a big leap). Probably since that Adelaide game when we had the four midfielders out and then we lost Gary by quarter-time you really think about where to pluck some players.
 
“Out of every negative you can find a positive. Probably 'Hally' you wouldn’t have thought of playing him there in the midfield in the past.
 
“But he’s hard at it, he won contests he was able to get away from the contests, he gave us a bit of drive.
 
“His kicking at times can be patchy, he can have some really good ones and then some average ones. But he was one player that didn’t muck around with the ball.”