If you don’t play four quarters of football, you will get beaten.

Those were the home truths said by Tom Lynch, Gold Coast’s next stand-in captain-in-waiting, following the team’s disappointing loss to the Western Bulldogs in Cairns at Cazaly’s Stadium on Saturday.

“It told us what we already know and that is you can’t play just one quarter of footy and expect to win,” he told The Gold Coast Bulletin.

“We just didn’t get the footy out of the middle. The midfielders usually win plenty of ball but, in saying that, I think we all let ourselves down across all lines.”

Much has been made of Gary Ablett’s season-ending shoulder surgery, and how big of a factor his ongoing absence will have to Gold Coast’s finals aspirations.

Since the club’s introduction to the AFL, the SUNS have lost all six games when Ablett has not featured in the 22, however it must be acknowledged the majority of those losses came at a time when Gold Coast’s now capable midfield were still finding their feet.

Lynch poured cold water on suggestions the team wouldn’t be able to fill the void left by their superstar skipper, insisting the club had the depth to cover for the dual Brownlow medallist.

“It’s a pretty small sample,” Lynch said.

“We’re a different side to when he missed previously so hopefully the weekend was just an aberration.

“The boys are more than capable of stepping up and filling the void.

“It was just an ordinary day. We didn’t win the ball out of the middle and din’t get our hands on it too great. We’ve had 22 fit blokes who ran out on the weekend who should have done a lot better.”