Coach Adam Simpson has praised West Coast's young brigade after their “spirit and passion” helped reignite the Eagles’ campaign.
Coming off three successive losses, the Eagles had to defeat Sydney to get the season back on track and influential duo Oscar Allen and Jake Waterman – two of the side’s four inclusions - helped inspire a 34-point victory on Saturday.
With Nic Naitanui dominating the ruck and raging bull Elliot Yeo back to his ferocious best, West Coast’s forwards fed off better supply, with Allen (three goals) and Waterman (two) producing some team-lifting moments.
Waterman’s long bomb from outside the 50m arc after the quarter-time siren kept the Eagles within two points and West Coast gradually got on top of an arm-wrestle thanks to improved energy and pressure around the contest.
“Good intensity, pressure on the game, field position through the contest – all the basic stuff that it’s where the game is at the moment. We probably just didn’t adjust, well we didn’t adjust (when we first came to Queensland),” Simpson said post-match.
“Effort overall was there. I thought our younger players who we brought in were really important for the spirit and passion for the game. Jakey Waterman, Oscar Allen, (Jamaine) Jones, (Liam) Duggan, (Jackson) Nelson, (Tom) Cole, that’s a glimpse of hopefully our future as we keep transitioning.
“Tim Kelly and the younger crew coming through I thought they all played their part today, which is really important for us.”
Yeo (21 disposals, nine clearances) was unstoppable in the second half in particular, alongside Naitanui, while small forward Jamie Cripps (two goals) was lively as West Coast improved to 2-3 on the season..
Adelaide looms at the Gabba next Saturday before the Eagles return home for a block of matches at Optus Stadium.
“We don’t live in the rollercoaster that has been projected all the time. We lost three in a row, really disappointing, and would have been really difficult if we had of dropped one today, but not the end of the world,” Simpson said.
“Our players I know have really good resilience, so to respond like they did I’m not surprised. I wasn’t losing it last week, I’m not going to go over the top this week. I’m happy we’ve performed at our level and I’m expecting to do it next week.”
West Coast will likely be forced into two changes against the Crows after skipper Luke Shuey and goalsneak Jamaine Jones both succumbed to apparent hamstring strains expected to sideline them for at least one-to-two matches each.
After a lengthy rehab from a groin issue Jarrod Cameron, or Jack Petruccelle, loom as possible replacements for Jones.
The Eagles fought on without Shuey after quarter-time and Simpson conceded a testing main training session on Wednesday might have played a part in the captain’s setback.
“We elevated our intensity at training and maybe that’s what happens,” he said.
“We had some sore boys towards the end of the game. We were pushing a couple of buttons throughout the week to try and work out what was going on and might have pushed them pretty hard on Wednesday training.”
