It was only a matter of time, but teenager Jack Martin delivered the breakthrough performance Gold Coast fans have been waiting all season for.

The pencil-thin midfield tyro came of age against West Coast in what was a disappointing Sunday afternoon for the SUNS, as the Eagles eclipsed the home team by 52 points at Metricon Stadium.

At every change, he ran hard into open space, and was the link in many forward movements.

His ability to break lines was on full display, but it was the way he delivered the ball with precision and his willingness to work back that impressed most.

Martin finished with a superb stat line of 19 touches, seven marks (five of which came inside-50), and a team-high four goals.

The pre-season fancy for the AFL’s best first-year player must be almost certain to pick up a richly-deserved round 23 NAB AFL Rising Star nomination.

Speaking to SUNS TV in the players’ change rooms following the side’s final premiership clash for 2014, Martin said West Coast’s ability to spread and move the ball forward hurt the SUNS, with the Eagles kicking eleven goals and building an unassailable 56-point lead heading into the final term.

“As we know you have to play four quarters of footy and after half-time, led by their dominant ruckman in Nic Nat, they started to win a few centre clearances and got it going their way,” Martin told SUNS TV.

Personally, the exciting first-year prospect said he will take plenty of confidence from his breakout performance.

“I definitely try to give myself as good a preparation as I can during the week and so it was nice to get on the end of a few,” he said.

“(It’ll) give me a lot of confidence going into pre-season and I’m looking forward to next year.”

Martin reaffirmed the promise of another strong pre-season would only benefit the SUNS in their fifth AFL season.

“Another pre-season will definitely get us running out more four-quarter efforts next year.”