GOLD Coast can no longer use its youth as an excuse for poor showings or late-game fade-outs, rookie sensation Jaeger O'Meara says.
The Suns put in what coach Guy McKenna described as a "stinker" in losing by 46 points against St Kilda on Sunday, and O'Meara said there were no excuses.
Harley Bennell and Dion Prestia both played their 50th game against the Saints, joining Trent McKenzie, Matt Shaw and David Swallow as Suns to reach that milestone – evidence of the maturing of the Suns list.
O'Meara has played all 21 games this season and is the raging hot favourite to win the AFL Rising Star Award. Despite admitting he was tired, he said the Suns could hide behind their youth no longer.
Experienced campaigners Gary Ablett, Michael Rischitelli, Jared Brennan, Tom Murphy, Greg Broughton and Danny Stanley all played on Sunday.
"When we don't play our best footy then we get exposed," O'Meara said.
"I don't think our work rate was good enough and we didn't use the ball as well as we could have either, which was disappointing.
"We didn't play four quarters yesterday and that's why we didn't win.
"The fade-outs are inexcusable now. We've had three seasons now, going into our fourth, and we can't afford to have those fade-outs.
"We've played 21 games now and I think everyone in the AFL is starting to run out of legs but we've got one more opportunity to improve ourselves."
That opportunity comes against fellow expansion club Greater Western Sydney at Metricon Stadium on Sunday in Kevin Sheedy's farewell to coaching.
O'Meara said there was a special rivalry between the clubs.
"I've got a few mates there so I love to win against them and we got the win at the start of the year (round five) and hopefully we can finish the year off with a win as well," he said.
Twitter @AFL_mikewhiting
