Carlton’s Charlie Curnow toys with West Coast in latest thrashing

West Coast coach Adam Simpson is under increasing pressure after yet another lopsided AFL defeat, this time to Carlton in Melbourne.

Adam Simpson (left) is under increasing pressure, while Charlie Curnow (right) had a 10-goal day for the Blues. Photos: Getty Images

Calls for West Coast coach Adam Simpson to be sacked are getting louder after the battling AFL club’s latest heavy loss on Saturday.

In an era when AFL forwards are rarely kicking big bags of goals, Carlton’s Charlie Curnow kicked 10 majors in the Blues’ 21.14 (140) to 10.9 thrashing at Marvel Stadium.

It was West Coast’s 16th consecutive defeat, a streak that includes four losses by over 100 points.

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The Swans’ 171-point belting in round 15 and Adelaide’s 122-point mauling in round 13, when Taylor Walker also kicked 10 goals, are among that horror run.

The Eagles’ board has regularly backed the embattled Simpson, but there has to come a breaking point as the losses mount up for this once-proud club.

Carlton kicked 59 points in the first term, their highest opening term at Marvel Stadium and equal-fourth highest ever.

Adam Simpson (left) is under increasing pressure, while Charlie Curnow (right) had a 10-goal day for the Blues. Photos: Getty Images

All up, the Blues kicked nine goals to nil in that opening term, with West Coast restricted to just two behinds.

The hosts then stretched their lead to 82 points at the long break as fears of another absolute belting firmed.

A series of Carlton injuries then helped West Coast show a modicum of competitiveness in the third term, kicking three goals to two for the quarter and another five in the final term to add some gloss to the final scoreline.

But there was no hiding another dreadful outing by the Eagles, especially on the road.

Adam Simpson is under increasing pressure as West Coast coach. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

It led to some fans asking for Simpson to be sacked as early as halftime of Saturday’s match, with the head coach trending on Twitter.

“Coaching, definitely, is obviously part of my job, but we’re rebuilding a list,” Simpson said after the game.

“So (we’re) finding opportunities for our younger players, growing our list with experience, getting the best out of our senior players.

“That’s obviously my job. We are working through a new era, we are at the start.”

Simpson also conceded the first quarter had been “a killer”.

“The start, again, it’s a killer for us,” he said. “When you’re a travelling side and we lost (Tom) Barass (to injury) before the game, to give up nine goals, 10 goals at quarter-time, the game’s over.

“The start was a killer…it’s pretty frustrating for all of us.”

Adam Simpson

— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) July 22, 2023

There cant be any way Adam Simpson survives today. Surely must be sacked by @WestCoastEagles. Hell, he should be sacked at half time.

#AFLBluesEagles

— Andy C and 384 others (@CouchySays) July 22, 2023

Adam Simpson needs 3 months off and should start that 3 months at quarter time #aflblueseagles

— Scotty Harris (part time legend) (@HarrisScottC) July 22, 2023

“It’s not the first time it’s happened so we keep digging to work our way through it, but it’s pretty frustrating for all of us.”

The Eagles won a premiership as recently as 2018, when they beat Collingwood in an absorbing grand final.

But they have experienced a dramatic slide since then, winning 10 games in 2021 to miss the finals for the first time in seven seasons.

They slumped to just two wins in 2022 and currently prop up the ladder with a horrendous 1-16 win-loss record.

Q1: Carlton with a strong start. pic.twitter.com/nqY8odaFrX

— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) July 22, 2023

That sole victory came against Greater Western Sydney in Perth in round two.

Coincidentally, West Coast’s next match is against North Melbourne, another team suffering a similarly dismal season.

The Kangaroos, who surprisingly won their opening two fixtures of the season against West Coast and Fremantle, have lost their last 15 games in succession.

If North is unable to beat St Kilda on Sunday, we’ll be left with the stunning scenario of two teams riding 16-match losing streaks coming head to head.

The Roos do have some good news on the horizon, with head coach Alastair Clarkson set to return to his role for the round 21 clash with Melbourne in Hobart.

Originally published as Carlton’s Charlie Curnow toys with West Coast in latest thrashing