West Coast coach Adam Simpson has conceded the Eagles simply haven’t measured up in the contest since the AFL restart, after watching his side suffer a second-straight defeat in Queensland.
The visitors were up by four points in a low-scoring first-half against Brisbane on Saturday night but, in similar scenes to the Gold Coast loss seven days earlier, were badly beaten in the clinches when the match was on the line after the long break.
A 30-point loss consigned West Coast to a 1-2 start to the campaign, and while Simpson admitted it felt like a long season already due to the COVID-19-enforced shutdown the Eagles have time to bounce back.
“Disappointed we didn’t win but I thought effort and intent was there,” Simpson said post-match.
“We had to adjust a few things to the conditions and were right in it there for long periods of the game. We got overawed in the midfield and beaten in the contest and the game got away from us halfway through the third.
“We hung in there and battled it out but we’re just not good enough at the moment. It was a grind game and we didn’t do it for long enough.
“We need to keep training our way through it, coaching our way through it and playing our way through it.
“We’re all in this together and we’ll keep fighting.”
Simpson sat down and spoke to the players in the rooms immediately after the final siren at the Gabba to gauge how they were feeling.
While living in a hub on the Gold Coast has presented a unique challenge for all involved, the senior coach refused to use that as an excuse for a second loss in seven days.
“It’s hard to measure how a different environment affects players and individuals and staff, but I really don’t want to use it as an excuse,” Simpson said.
“We came up here to win, otherwise what’s the point of coming here? That’s been our attitude and we just haven’t delivered.
“Effort was better this week, system was a little bit more conducive to the conditions but we couldn’t sustain it and Brisbane are a good side.
“Playing Brisbane at the Gabba has always been pretty hard and we got beaten by a better side.”
Amid his disappointment, Simpson lauded milestone man Andrew Gaff (30 disposals) for a tireless effort in his 200th game and also praised star ruck Nic Naitanui (34 hitouts, nine clearances) and defender Brad Sheppard, who kept Lions dangerman Charlie Cameron to one goal from just five touches.
“We need to park the fact it’s a different environment and have a look at the actual game. Some of our players are down on form, some of our players played really well,” Simpson said.
“Brad Sheppard tonight I thought was exceptional, Andrew Gaff in his 200th really flew the flag. But we didn’t have as many winners as we would’ve liked and that was disappointing.”
The Eagles are likely to regain intercept marking backman Jeremy McGovern against Port Adelaide at Metricon Stadium in round four.
McGovern rolled an ankle in a scrimmage match against the Lions reserves on Saturday afternoon while serving his one-match AFL suspension and was sent for scans but Simpson expected the big man would be available to face the Power, while Liam Ryan (corked calf) and Elliot Yeo (back) will be monitored.
