Gold Coast’s key forwards have combined to wreak havoc against Fremantle, paving the way for 24-point AFL win.

Both sides fielded undermanned teams due to injury, but Suns trio Sam Day, Peter Wright and Tom Lynch stood tall above the rest in the 16.9 (105) to 12.9 (81) victory at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.

Day booted four goals in arguably his best AFL game in several years, while Wright’s terrific debut season continued with a haul of three majors.

Vice-captain Lynch, meanwhile, was well held by Dockers fullback Zac Dawson for most of the match but still managed to kick four goals – two of them coming in the final term when the game was in the balance.

Between them, Day, Wright and Lynch contributed 11 of Gold Coast’s 16 goals for the match – and with Lynch the oldest of the trio at just 23, the Suns appear well and truly covered in the big-man department for a long time to com e.

Fremantle, who rested veteran Matthew Pavlich to allow him to celebrate his 250th AFL match at home next weekend, were right in the contest until a string of five unanswered goals across the third and fourth quarters confirmed the Suns’ sixth win of the year.

Midfielder Lachie Neale was their best with a game-high 43 possessions – more than half of those coming before halftime – and 10 clearances, dining out against a depleted Gold Coast on-ball unit.

The Suns were already missing their six best midfielders – Gary Ablett (shoulder), Jaeger O’Meara, David Swallow, Dion Prestia, Michael Rischitelli (knee) and Aaron Hall (hamstring) – and in a cruel pre-match blow lost mooted inclusion Matt Rosa to a hamstring issue.

However, their makeshift engine room still managed to take the edge in clearances (34-32) and contested possessions (138-124).

Michael Walters kicked four goals for the Dockers, while Ed Langdon and mature-aged debutant Shane Yarran both contributed two each.

A crowd of 8,933 braved the hottest July day on the Gold Coast, with temperatures reaching an unseasonable 28 degrees before the first bounce.