How do you sum that up?
For a little period of time we lost control in the contest, whether that’s at the source and clearance, they kicked three stoppage goals in a row. Our backs, particularly early, were holding up really well and we just couldn’t hold up in that moment. Three goals pretty quickly turned into five and the game was blown open I suppose.

How is it for you when the momentum switched like that?
It’s disappointing because we were so good most of the day. I think we ended up plus 18 ground ball and ended up winning the contest. Those middle two quarters we were up in the contest, we owned field position. I think we only kicked four goals in the second and third quarter when I thought we had the majority of field position. We won inside 50s in that period but also the amount of forward 50 stoppages we had, I thought territory in the third quarter in particular was really strong and we just didn’t maximise that. It was probably as ineffective as we’ve been going forward, in that period of time, it was either shallow entries or we weren’t predictable to each other. I didn’t think we provided clear targets for the kicker. We just didn’t maximise that bit of dominance. We just hung in there and fought our way into the game, and then started the last quarter really well, played the game in our front half, hit the scoreboard and then we just lost control at the contest and behind the ball and then the game changed pretty quick.

Did you run out of legs a bit trying to get back into the game?
I don’t think so. I don’t think we ran out of legs. We just didn’t get our method right. Two free kicks gave them field position and we just couldn’t get it right behind the ball. From where I was sitting it had nothing to do with fatigue.

Nat Fyfe was subbed out, can you talk us through that?
His foot had gotten sore. It’s the same foot he has had issues with this year. It was sore and we had fresh legs (in Erasmus) so we thought we would get him in.

Will it keep him out?
It’s too early to tell. We will see how it pulls up.

Is it the same foot he has been having trouble with?
Yes.

How frustrated is he?
It’s a bit early to go there, he would be disappointed having been subbed out and it flaring up again but we will get him home and assess it further, and see what it means.

Did he come into the game with it playing up?
Plantar fasciitis (injuries), they never really go away until you have an extended period of time off. So he’s had some awareness there, it just got a bit sorer than usual so he felt like he couldn’t go anymore.

At the start of the game the Dogs seemed to ambush you and it put you behind the eight ball – is that how you saw it?
In a way but the scoreboard didn’t get out of control. I thought we adjusted maturely. I just thought at the start of the game we weren’t tough enough and we were winning the ball but when we won the ball we weren’t getting it to a teammate in a better position. It was like a hot potato and one ground ball turned into another and then we just weren’t clean enough. And probably (also) field pressure, I thought we got back into the game with our pressure and once we tidied up our contest we started playing the game in our half, and like I said before we couldn’t maximise that and we didn’t score enough. Especially in that third quarter, I thought we dominated field position and I’m not sure what the result was with our forward 50 stoppages, which is usually a strength of ours, we just couldn’t get anything going.

First quarters have been an issue, has it been a focus?
It’s a (one) focus, we will continue to tinker with some of the things we go into the game with. Like I said, I didn’t think the scoreboard got away from us, we won the first quarter last week and when you’re a goal up, six minutes into the last, it’s an issue but I think we were able to navigate it pretty well and we will be reviewing the last part.

How did you see Sean Darcy’s game against Tim English?
I thought he played his role, I think Sean is if not the best, right up there with the best rucks in the comp and they had another good battle.

Do you think Liam Henry is finding his place out there?
I hope so. I hope he’s feeling comfortable and confident. He backed up his performance from last week and executed his role again and probably got better as the game went on. Hopefully he is feeling a little more comfortable and understands what it takes to be a consistent AFL player.

Any other injuries
No, I don’t think so.