Even Gary Ablett gets burnt out. A long, exhausting AFL campaign has taken its toll on the Gold Coast skipper, according to Suns coach Guy McKenna.
McKenna has acknowledged that Ablett's brilliance has faded in the past month as the immense burden he's shouldered has caught up with the Brownlow Medal favourite.
The Suns coach on Thursday revealed the 29-year-old had spent 94 per cent of game time on the field this season - the most amount by any midfielder in the league.
The Coast's injury woes have also forced Ablett to have less breaks on the interchange bench.
"He's probably spent more time on ground and that's probably because of our injury (list) and not having the run through the midfield," McKenna said. "So he's had to go forward and hasn't had that luxury of coming off.
"It's not ideal of course because we know how dynamic he can be. That extra load has taken an edge off him.
"Probably more so from half way through the season - that's bitten into his energy."
But McKenna tipped Ablett, who gained more rest time in their loss to St Kilda last weekend, would finish the season with a flourish on Sunday when the Suns host Greater Western Sydney.
"On the weekend he's played 92 per cent," he said. "Even with that three per cent of load coming off, you just started to see some spark. Unfortunately because of numbers, he's had to do that."
McKenna also praised rival taggers in restricting Ablett to an average 24 disposals a game over the past four rounds - down on his season average of 31.
"They've played him real tight," he said. "He just hasn't had that spark and energy to get off them and on the weekend I just started to see him kick over."
The Suns will again be hit by injuries with ruckman Daniel Gorringe (abdomen) ruled out and Greg Broughton (ankle) and David Swallow (knee) both unlikely.
