Following a dismal 76-point defeat to the Western Bulldogs, West Coast coach Adam Simpson has intensified scrutiny on his forward line, which managed just three goals during the match.
Despite matching the Bulldogs in inside-50 entries with 51 each and dominating clearances 37-28, courtesy of standout performances from midfielders Elliot Yeo and Tim Kelly, the Eagles struggled to convert opportunities.
After initially kicking two of the first three goals, West Coast endured a lengthy scoring drought, allowing the Bulldogs to reel off 12 unanswered goals, ultimately resulting in a comprehensive 16.10 (106) to 3.12 (30) defeat.
The veteran forward Jack Darling failed to register a goal for the second consecutive week, while Jamie Cripps managed only 1.5. The Eagles’ offensive structure and movement faltered, especially in the absence of star spearhead and co-captain Oscar Allen.
“Our forwards’ confidence is suffering at the moment. If we consistently generate 51 inside-50s per game for the remainder of the season, we will secure victories,” Simpson stated. “Improving our connectivity and the ability of our forwards to win contests and mark the ball are areas where we need significant improvement.”
“The Bulldogs performed impressively today. Their consistent pressure throughout the game was evident, and it’s clear they’ve dedicated effort to refining that aspect of their play. Unfortunately, we struggled to maintain that intensity. There’s definite room for improvement, particularly with our forward line.”
West Coast’s start to the season has been challenging, losing their first three games by an average margin of 64 points. Despite the difficult beginning, Simpson acknowledged that he anticipated the rebuild to be tough.
When asked if it becomes challenging to stay focused, Simpson replied, “No, this is my life. This is what we do. This is how we live. You’ve got to have resilience.
To develop resilience, you need to be resilient… Reality is crucial. We aim to progress, and we’re not satisfied with our performance in the first three rounds, not at all.
Looking towards the long term, we believe we’re moving in the right direction, but in the short term, we’re eager to see improvement. Today’s performance had its shortcomings, but there were also positives. We’ll continue pursuing incremental victories, but our aim is to perform better than we did today.”
West Coast will need to make at least one change to their lineup for their upcoming clash against Sydney in Adelaide on Saturday, following recruit Tyler Brockman’s halftime substitution due to concussion. Forward Jake Waterman’s availability could be uncertain after he was seen leaving the ground with his right knee in a brace.
Veteran wingman Andrew Gaff presented himself for potential selection with an impressive performance in the WAFL, amassing 29 touches and nine tackles, while rookie forward Loch Rawlinson showcased his potential with three goals.
As the Eagles remain in Melbourne until later in the week before traveling to Adelaide, Simpson mentioned the need to bolster the squad’s numbers due to the short six-day break. He expressed a reluctance to make numerous changes, considering the disappointing performances of some players at the WAFL level over the weekend, although he noted signs of improvement in certain younger players.
