The West Coast Eagles’ destiny is still in their hands and Adam Simpson says acting on the disappointing Collingwood defeat is what matters after digging deep into the reasons behind the side’s inconsistent form this week.
While hosting a red-hot Melbourne outfit on Monday night will be a massive challenge, the seventh-placed Eagles are determined to get better as they seek to lock in a finals berth across the final three rounds.
“We’re digging a bit deeper about what is actually happening on gameday and why can’t we arrest momentum and get energy around the contest and the way we want to play,” Simpson said.
“That’s what we’ve worked on this week. Spirit and that type of synergy is really important for us as well.
“We’ve tapped into that as much as we can but … it’s about what we do on gameday.
“Talking about it is important, understanding it, accepting it and being aware of it but we need to action it, and that’s our goal this week.”
Simpson conceded there had been at least four games this year where West Coast has been a long way off the level required, but remained confident the team’s best football is still good enough to compete with the best.
The 2018 premiership coach hoped a large home crowd would attend Monday night’s 6.10pm bouncedown for a blockbuster match up in the Eagles’ final home game for the season.
“Top eight (is the goal). Teams underneath us want to be where we are. As much as we think there’s more consistency and better performances in us than what we’ve produced this year, we’re still in a position where we can have a successful season,” he said.
“Expectations are always high for us and that’s fine. I think we’ve given our fans and supporters a lot of entertainment and reward over the years.
“At the moment we’re struggling a little bit and trying our hardest to stay in the eight, but the ball’s in our court.
“On the back of breaking the record membership, 106,000 members, it’s such a magnificent effort from the footy club to get that many supporters and members and hopefully we get another full house on Monday.
“We want to reward the loyalty they’ve shown us.”
The Demons are in the mix to finish on top of the ladder – just two points behind Geelong and the Western Bulldogs – and have built their success around a rock-solid defence (AFL No.2) to complement their trademark toughness at the contest.
A mouthwatering battle between All Australian ruck contenders Nic Naitanui and Max Gawn could sway the outcome, with both big men holding a key to their respective midfields.
“I think Nic has been as good as anyone in the League again this year, I think his All Australian form is stacking up from last year, and obviously Max is the same,” Simpson said.
“He’s been playing the same type of football for a number of years now. Another really good battle coming up with that.
“That will shape part of the game as well, who wins that midfield battle and who gets first hands on the ball around the ground.
“That’s always the case when you play Melbourne.
“They’re very settled. They’ve got synergy, they’ve got belief in their style of play and they’re a very hard-nosed team.
“They’re pretty much – across all forms of the game – in a really good space.
“The biggest thing they’re doing this year over previous years is their defence is number one in our eyes and the way they set up the ground defensively.
“They’re a really hard team to score against.”
