EMERGING defender Nick Suban says Fremantle’s spirited 15-point loss to Brisbane at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night could be a turning point for the club.

Fremantle bounced back from a 117-point drubbing at the hands of the Adelaide Crows in round 15 to take the game right up to Brisbane for three quarters before the Lions’ harder, more experienced players took control of the match in the final term.

Suban said the Fremantle players knew their side was under-manned due to a lengthy injury list, but were determined to show they were better than the one-goal effort they put in against Adelaide.

“It was much better from last week,” Suban said.

“I suppose we were all a bit down after the Adelaide game, but as soon as we got in and had our review on Monday, we decided to put it behind us and move forward to this week.

“The senior players just talked to us and tried to get us back up for this week and told us not dwell on it too much. ‘Pav’ (Matthew Pavlich) and all the guys in the leadership group spoke to us and just said to put it behind us.

“So the boys really set themselves to go out this week and prove a point, and we tried really hard. While we couldn’t deliver in the end, it was still a much better effort this week.”

Suban – a former Oakleigh Charger who was taken by Fremantle with pick No. 24 of 2008 NAB AFL Draft – put together his best game for the club, gathering 20 possessions while continually driving his side forward.

He also provided the highlight of the first half when he gathered a slippery ball in the centre square, casually side-stepped an oncoming Lions’ defender and calmly slotted through a 55-metre running goal against the wind.

Suban said while the side was struggling to maintain its intensity over four quarters without experienced players such as Pavlich, Aaron Sandilands and Byron Schammer, Fremantle’s investment in its young players would ultimately pay off.

“You look at the midfield at the start, and there was a lot of youth in there with Zac Clarke, Matthew de Boer and Stephen Hill,” Suban said.

“So it was good to see a few of the young guys, all first-year players, in there.

“Hopefully we’ll get a few experienced players back soon and next week’s the derby, so we’re just looking forward to putting in a good performance then.

“We’ve been a long time without a win, so we’re really excited just to get out there against the Eagles and hopefully get a win.”