After enduring an injury-plagued start to his career at Metricon Stadium, one player who is not taking his uninterrupted run for granted is Jesse Lonergan, particularly during a season where injuries have been rife at the Gold Coast SUNS.
 
The Tasmanian has strung together 12 consecutive games in the most fruitful patch of his burgeoning career, playing in a variety of different roles under first-year coach Rodney Eade who has added more strings to Lonergan’s bow.
 
Since coming into the senior side in round five, the 20-year-old utility has played in a handful of positions this season – across half-back, as a lockdown defender, at half-forward and as an inside midfielder.
 
The newfound continuity has allowed Lonergan to find some confidence in his body, which has translated on-field. After putting the frustration of injury in his rear vision mirror, the Launceston product credits Eade for growing his football education this season from a handful of different perspectives.
 
“I’ve been pretty lucky this year, I haven’t had too many injuries touchwood compared to previous years. Just having some continuity in my training and playing and just getting my body strong and fit so its been good,” Lonergan told SUNS TV on Tuesday afternoon.
 
“Playing at half-back and half-forward, I guess it’s just really playing at different parts of the ground, growing my game and learning different roles to be more valuable to the team.
 
“I’ve learnt a lot since Rocket’s come in, I’ve played in different positions. I can see the game from different angles, and I’m learning more about the game. It’s been good for my development.”
 
Lonergan was drafted as an inside midfielder and renowned for his work in close around the ball. Under Eade he has spent time down back, developing behind the ball to expand his skill set.
 
In Adelaide on the weekend, with Mitch Hallahan joining the exodus of top-end midfielders on the sidelines, Lonergan returned to the role that he was drafted as.
 
Opposed to a first-rate midfield boasting Patrick Dangerfield, Scott Thompson and Rory Sloane, the big-bodied Tasmanian helped keep the SUNS in the contest for the first three quarters, collecting 20 possessions and laying nine tackles in one of his finest performances of the season.
 
“We had Mitch Hallahan go out so obviously I got the role to play in the midfield,” Lonergan said.
 
“They’ve got some gun players in there, they’ve got Scotty Thompson and Dangerfield and Douglas and stuff like that. It was a good experience to play against those guys. They’ve got a pretty solid midfield group.
 
“I think we did well for three quarters, but we let ourselves down in the last.”