GOLD Coast coach Guy McKenna conceded his side copped a 'reality check' during its 53-point loss to Hawthorn in Launceston on Saturday.
Frustrated by an inability to match Hawthorn's superior handling and unrelenting attack on the ball during a game marred by torrential rain, McKenna said the young Suns learn a lot from the disappointing result.
"There was probably a lesson, an understanding, probably a reality check to say 'hey, this is one of the best sides in the competition'," he said.
"We'll probably turn the cameras off us and actually look at Hawthorn do what they do, and do really well, and that's the level we have to get to. "
Inspirational skipper Gary Ablett shook off a lower-leg knock during the second half to post a game-high 45 possessions and McKenna suggested the star midfielder would need far more support across the ground for the Suns to start beating the top four sides.
"(We were) obviously led by our skipper again … I don't think we can ask him to do any more," McKenna said.
"It was probably left for too few to do too much and just weight of numbers, (Hawthorn's) maturity, professionalism. The result was the result.
"They're [the] big brother telling little brother 'just wait your turn, we're not quite finished at the top of the heap at the moment'.
"It's just a reality check to say this is the level they're at (and) this is the level we're at."
As well as Ablett, McKenna found praise for the efforts of emerging midfielders Dion Prestia, Jaeger O'Meara and David Swallow as well as Tasmanian Jesse Lonergan, who was serviceable as the substitute on his return to hometown Launceston.
"One of the positives, if you like, to come out of the game is Jesse Lonergan," McKenna said of the 19-year-old.
"He's a solid boy, you look at the size of him, he's built for those conditions and I don't think he let us down.
"He was clean, composed and that was one of the positives to come out of the game."
