West Coast Eagles Struggle in Heavy Loss to St Kilda
The West Coast Eagles suffered a disappointing 72-point defeat to St Kilda in Round 19, leaving interim coach Jarrad Schofield lamenting the team’s lack of execution and defensive pressure. Playing without injured senior figures Elliot Yeo, Liam Duggan, Jeremy McGovern, and Jake Waterman, the undermanned Eagles failed to meet any of their pre-game benchmarks.
The most glaring statistic from the match was the Eagles’ failure to lay a single tackle inside their forward 50, while St Kilda managed 23 tackles in their attacking zone. Schofield expressed his frustration, emphasizing that the numbers were stacked against them from the beginning.
“The numbers were really stacked against us early on. Even in the first 15 minutes of the game, trying to build the ball up from deep in our back half, there’s always going to come a time when the dam wall is going to break,” Schofield said.
Despite managing to kick two or three goals by the end of the first quarter, the Eagles struggled to execute their game plan throughout the match. Schofield noted that their back six held up reasonably well under pressure, but the rest of the team failed to deliver.
“Across the ground, defense of mids and forwards wasn’t where it should be. We had some opportunities when we did go forward with the ball, to execute, and we didn’t execute. But at the end of the day, I don’t think we had a tackle in our forward 50, which isn’t what we’re chasing,” Schofield added.
There were a few bright spots for the Eagles, with half-back flankers Reuben Ginbey and Jayden Hunt standing out. Ginbey, who has recently been moved to half-back, showed notable improvement, while Hunt delivered one of his best performances in a long time. Jack Williams also impressed by kicking his second three-goal haul at the AFL level.
“They’re learning on the job. What we are learning is more about our list as well. There were opportunities given to players who warranted those opportunities, because they’d played some good footy in the WAFL, and we wanted to see that,” Schofield said.
Schofield acknowledged the team’s ongoing evaluation of their list and the need for adjustments as they navigate a challenging season. Despite the heavy loss, the development of young players like Ginbey and the performance of experienced players like Hunt provide some hope for the Eagles moving forward.
