Lemmens forward on his 2018 goal
SEAN Lemmens is set to become the Gold Coast Suns’ latest swingman.
Lemmens has spent the bulk of his first four years at the club at halfback but has been training as a forward under new coach Stuart Dew.
It comes after the 23-yearold was shifted in front of goal at times in 2017 by former coach Rodney Eade.
Lemmens was given the task of pressuring the opposition backlines and helping to lock the ball in to stop teams rebounding up the field and give Gold Coast ample time to score.
It led to a career-high 20 games last season, when he kicked nine goals between duties in his usual defensive role.
Suns tall Sam Day, who is continuing to work his way back from a serious hip injury, has enjoyed enormous success thanks to his ability to shift between the back and forward lines. Lemmens is looking to do the same.
“I’ve been training quite a bit with the forwards and trying to develop my pressure up there,” he said.
“At this stage I’m trying to develop that craft. It was good last year and knowing I can swing back will be handy.
“I played forward a little bit in juniors but I was more so at the back. That change and a fresh start at forward is always good.”
Like many of Gold Coast’s young players, Lemmens has focused on adding size to his frame in order to compete with the bigger bodies in the AFL.
He has put on about 4kg and now weighs 84kg.