The West Coast Eagles simply “aren’t an AFL team”, footy great Dermott Brereton says and he’s warned there’s plenty more 100-point drubbings on the horizon for the club.
The Eagles were belted off the park by Adelaide on Saturday, as the Taylor Walker-led Crows piled on 27 goals in their 122-point win.
“I’m really concerned you’ve got a team where the hardest part of the season hasn’t come yet and we’re getting 100-point loss after 100-point loss with no end in sight that there’s improvement there,” Brereton said on Fox Footy.
Watch every match of every round of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
“There’s a few players every week that go out there that aren’t AFL standard.
“Let’s be kind to them and say yet, and they are a way off. We hope they do reach it.
“(But) they just aren’t an AFL team.
“The hardest part of the year hasn’t happened yet – there’s plenty more 100-point drubbings coming.
“We can’t have a team that is non competitive to the tune of 100 points every second week.
“And it will happen again.”
West Coast Eagles Press Conference | 09:21
The Eagles had only coughed up 12 100-point beltings in their club history before Saturday’s clash – now they’ve suffered three in the past seven weeks, to Carlton, Hawthorn and now Adelaide.
But Brereton and fellow Fox Footy analyst Cameron Mooney don’t believe coach Adam Simpson is to blame – it’s down to personnel.
“Vince Lombardi couldn’t get more out of this team,” Brereton said.
“They don’t have the cattle on the park.”
The Eagles have been decimated by injury for two consecutive seasons, and had to make six forced changes to the side to take on Adelaide.
They then lost Jake Waterman to illness pre-bounce and had to shuffle the deck once more.
“I’ve never been involved in a club where you’ve only had 25 available,” Mooney said.
“That’s extraordinary.
“You’ve got to take that into account before we sit down and start throwing darts.
‘The Texas ten!’ Taylor’s 250th massacre | 01:26
“I 100% think they should (stick with Adam Simpson).
“He’s been down the bottom before and he built them to a premiership team. He knows what he’s doing.
“They need to work out their fitness staff.”
Alarmingly, West Coast’s WAFL side also suffered a 100-point belting on Saturday – their fourth in nine games this year as they sit winless at the bottom of the table with a percentage of just 31.69.
A “frustrated” Simpson admitted there were few, if any, positives for him to salvage from the wreckage of his side’s 122-point demolition at the hands of Adelaide.
It was West Coast’s biggest-ever loss to Adelaide, with the heavy defeat the eleventh of a miserable club record streak that has it anchored to the bottom of the ladder.
“Tonight is not part of the plan, I don‘t want anyone thinking that’s acceptable, but we knew we were going to take a couple of steps back before we go forward,” Simpson said.
“It’s a challenge with us at the moment, with our availability, but that doesn’t excuse the effort.
Maric’s magic moment comes early! | 00:45
“We’re trying to be as resilient as we can, we knew we were undermanned in some areas, but that just wasn’t good enough.
“We expect more.
“I’m frustrated and angry.
“Today was not a day of education for us.”
The Eagles limp into their bye round with just one win for the season, but in a small glimmer of hope, Simpson expects “five or six” players to come off the injury list after the break.
“That should give us a bit more resolve, a bit more experience, and help with our synergy,” the coach said.
“It‘s all over the shop at the moment, it’s really difficult to get that (synergy) but that’s not an excuse.”
Discussion about this post