Opinion
Eagles’ third straight home defeat was not far off peak embarrassment
Paddy Sweeney
Nine Sports PresenterAdam Simpson’s assessment of his side’s drubbing by Hawthorn – “we won’t treat it like a catastrophe” – was an incredibly sobering aftermath to a match that had been a genuine opportunity to notch win number four in 2024.
With the return of club champion Tim Kelly and rising star Harley Reid back from suspension, this was meant to be the best version of West Coast in 2024. What eventuated was so far from it.
Elliot Yeo of the Eagles leaves the field after the team’s defeat. Credit: Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images
The 61-point, good old-fashioned flogging lit-up talk-back radio, one after another caller venting their frustration, calling for players to be dropped, others going further and calling for the club to end Simpson’s 11-year reign.
It was the Eagles’ third straight home defeat, all against teams in the bottom six. But it was the manner of how it unfolded that left questions over attitude and application. West Coast were smacked from beginning to end by a far hungrier, desperate and tougher outfit.
The Eagles recorded season-worst differential counts in disposals (-148), clearances (-19) and marks inside 50 (-18).
They were belted at the source and on the spread, losing the contested and uncontested possession totals easily, pointing to work-rate issues, while having simply no answers to stopping Hawthorn’s superior running capabilities.
The alarm bells rang early around issues with supply, the visitors with the first seven forward entries, winning the tally 60 - 33, while the Eagles failed to take a mark inside 50 until the final quarter, ending the match down 22-4.
The final margin flattered West Coast, the first-half efforts of Jeremy McGovern and Tom Barrass limiting the damage.
A little over a month ago, Adelaide embarrassed the Eagles by 99 points. Sunday wasn’t far off being as dire.
Since the back end of 2021, the Eagles have won only 10 of 67 games, a record some would say is catastrophic.
Freo wields a weapon in Josh Draper
Saturday afternoon, away from home, against the might of Sydney who entered the game three games clear on top of the ladder on the back of 10 straight wins. There are not too many more daunting or imposing settings for a young player to announce themselves as a future star.
And that’s exactly what Joshua Draper did.
The 20-year-old was recalled to replace Alex Pearce, delivering a performance no doubt the injured skipper would have been mighty proud of.
As the Swans threw everything at the Dockers in the final quarter, Draper held a cool head, calm in the unfolding crisis against a bigger and more senior opponent. Out-marking Hayden McLean, he would moments later again thrive in a one-on-one contest, in the goal square, forcing a behind as Fremantle held on to record a stunning upset victory. Draper reminds me of Dockers great Michael Johnson.
Tall, skinny, raw, athletic, with undeniable talent and upside.
Post-game, Nat Fyfe described Draper as a “weapon”.
Sure, Draper’s no Johnson, he has a long way to go to be a 244-game champion and All Australian.
But what he’s shown to date since debuting this year has Freo fans excited.
Draper wasn’t the only shining light on a day they announced their top four credentials. Justin Longmuir had a brilliant day, outcoaching John Longmire, one of the best in the game. His decision to send Nat Fyfe to Isaac Heeney was a masterstroke which paid off, so too Jaeger O’Meara to Errol Gulden.
Two experienced players, both past their prime years, but who were handed roles for the greater good of the team and executed them.
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