What sort of aims and objectives did you set for the team?

We came with a purpose to definitely win the footy game, and to do that we had to be in the game from a contested ball point of view, ground balls, give ourselves an opportunity to get enough on the inside 50s. We hit two of those targets on our contested ball, I think we were +5 on the night, ground balls we were a +4 or +5 on the night, but the inside 50s sway the connection, once we got the ball to the outside, just wasn’t the same level as Brisbane’s. Whenever they got the ball to the outside off a contest win they were pretty fluent with their ball movement, or I guess, won a long down the line contest, we weren’t able to establish field position off our contest wins at times, or our pressure. We came with an attitude that we wanted to be better in a few areas and have some small wins, but the inside 50 count and supply was still an issue on the night. So, that’s the summation of the game. And I think their contest-to-contest work was just superior, I think our first phase of the contest we got the ball out at times, but then the next couple of contests Brisbane were able to link a spoil in and then get some play off of that, and then take the ball 80, 90 metres at times, with some nice ball use. So I thought the polish when the ball got to the outside was a stark difference between the two teams.

You matched them in contested ball, but just couldn’t get it forward?

Couldn’t get the ball forward, we were 29 points down into the game and we gave away a 50 metre penalty, which hurt us. Probably had a little bit of momentum in that period, but they really got on top as the game went on, the last 30 minutes of the game we were hanging on, but they really started to get their legs running and covering the ground, it became a bit tough in the end, but I thought the boys hung tough, they hung in there, and I think you could clearly see the group was up for the contest tonight, and up for the pressure, and we’ve got to keep establishing that and get more polish on the outside.

Do you expect anyone back next week?

I’d like to say with a degree of certainty but it’s a bit difficult at the moment, we’ll just see how the players play and how they come out of the health and safety protocols and how they pull up from injury, with some of the players that did miss this week, with some of them there’s further investigation into their injuries. We’d hoped we could have three or four available to play next week, but it would be remiss of me to say who they were, until we got out on the training track next week, it’s tough.

After a few big losses, what are you working on ahead of the premiers next week?

We’re under no illusions when we go back to work on Monday that we’ve got to get better, doesn’t feel good to lose by those margins. But, I thought the players really locked in tonight, it blew out late, but we just couldn’t sustain our methods, we just couldn’t sustain the contests and the pressure for long enough, and that contest to contest work. So we’ve got to go back to work and get better. The history stuff, I understand what you mean, but at the moment we’ve got to just piece our days together and just get better every day, rather than just worrying about the element of the last four weeks.

How did you see Josh Rotham’s performance on Charlie Cameron?

Big job tonight, and I thought he took some good marks. Charlie’s an unbelievable player, watching him the last few weeks, his crumbing and his goal sense, plus his pressure, Charlie Cameron’s pressure in the last two-to-three weeks has been something else, so he’s travelling really well, as they are as a team. They blew Sydney away last week, they’re obviously right in that sweet spot and they’re in the top echelon, as I said we’ve got to go back to work and crave to be a team like them again. And that’s what we’re here for, and that’s why we came here to win tonight because we wanted to compete and win.

Debutant Jake Florenca had the most contested possessions, what did you make of his effort?

I was proud of his effort, I met Jake for the first time a couple of days ago and I was lucky enough to watch some vision with him, with our recruiters, and then it was a proud moment to give him his first game, so to will himself in the contest against (Lachie) Neale, (Hugh) McCluggage, (Dayne) Zorko, (Jarryd) Lyons, two big ruckmen they’ve got going with (Darcy) Fort and (Oscar) McInerney, I take my hat off to him, proud of him. And I thought (Callum) Jamieson probably affirmed what we wanted to see tonight out of a young ruckman, I thought got his hand on ball, competed really well, did some nice things around the ground, so for Harry Edwards and ‘Jamo’ to take on McInerney and Fort, it’s a good lesson for them, a lesson in the fundamentals, a lesson in the way you go about your ruck craft, but I thought that they didn’t shy away from the contest, so really happy with ‘Jamo’ tonight.

What does it say of talent in the WAFL if Florenca impressed with limited preparation and knowledge of game plan?

I think it’s an exciting element, the WAFL Eagles and the WAFL itself. To discover players, and I’ve seen it previously through the VFL at Geelong, the players that have come through that system. There’s always opportunities for young men to come through and thrive in the AFL if they’re willing to lock in, be professional, be diligent about the way they go about their work, and aspire. I think there’s plenty of opportunity, so even for Jake to come in and do that tonight was good, we give (Jack) Redden the job on Neale, and I thought he endeavoured to do it to the best of his ability for the team, the boys really supported him on that one. The overwhelming element of the depth of their midfield eventually took a toll, but then again, clearances were +1, contested ball was pretty equal between the arcs. I think forward of the football, we might’ve lost contest by -15, in our front half. So when we did go in our front half we weren’t able to establish any delay on the ball or hit the scoreboard, so against quality teams you need some delay on the ball inside your 50, otherwise it’s going to come out and that probably happened a bit too many times tonight.

Redden got a bit of it as well, so it was more than just a lockdown?

We felt that it was a lockdown, but we felt like if ‘Reddo’ had the opportunity to win the ball we wanted him to. That’s the best way you can hurt these champion players of the game, that if you can do body work and then get some ball off them, then you get some productivity the other way. But, again, Neale’s in mint form, he was near close to best on ground last week against the Swans, I was watching the game closely. So, they’ve got a group that are in their sweet spot, they’re playing great footy and we’re certainly not at that level.

Many years for you personally since you’ve been in the hot seat, how did you find it?

I thoroughly enjoyed it, quite a unique situation but I felt the relationship with the playing group was good this weekend. I got amazing support from all the coaches and support staff, they’ve been amazing in the last 48 hours, since ‘Simmo’ gave me a call at quarter past six on Thursday morning to say that he’d be missing the game. So, it was a pleasure, I’m very proud to be able to coach the Eagles tonight and chop out for ‘Simmo,’ and then he’ll be back on deck sooner rather than later. It felt calm, it felt relaxed and really enjoyed my time back in the coach’s box.

How did ‘Simmo’ contact you tonightt?

We had some communication with ‘Simmo’ through different stages in the night, but he was really good in the sense that he wanted to, occasionally if he wanted to contact us he would, but he was very clear he just wanted the coaching group to take care of business tonight and hand the reins over to myself. And I respect that, it’s very difficult when you’re sitting in your lounge room compared to at the ground. That was pretty natural and that’s the way it worked.

Will he coach next week?

I don’t know exactly the days and the protocols but the plan is for him definitely to coach next week and be back at the club as soon as possible. He’s led the club wonderfully well through a difficult time, so he’ll be back on deck sooner rather than later.

Have you had a word to the players yet?

Yes, I spoke to the players post-match and I spoke to them about the themes in regards to, we give ourselves an opportunity to be in the game with our contested ball, our ground balls, our pressure, but we weren’t able to establish anything on the outside or forward of the ball. The Lions on the flip side were able to have the full gambit of their game going, but on inside and outside, so that’s our challenge.

What you were missing, was that in terms of personnel or fitness?

I think it was a mixture of everything, but just that synergy when we get out, then piecing the next kick together, or handball, which gets you out into space and allows the player with the ball to make a good decision. Whether he wants to go deep, or hit someone on the lead. We just haven’t quite got that synergy with that composure at the moment, we’re quite rushed when we get into those situations, so it’s just back on the training track and working on those elements, so once we get the ball to the outside we can actually hurt teams and make them pay, because at the moment we’re not able to do that.