Your thoughts on that today?
Their clearance work was strong, once we improved that and worked back in the game, we were a lot better. I thought our third quarter was quite emphatic, the way we did it. I spoke about it last week, I thought our effort and clearance work was quite strong but our composure with the ball, going too quick at times, and kicking to West Coast and getting counter-punched. I think as the game went on, there was better using of the ball and getting the opposition to defend. When we did go forward, it gave our forwards the chance to be more dangerous against equal numbers and give them better opportunities. That’s how I thought it played out. It also allows you to put better pressure in the forward 50. I think we did that, particularly after half time. I thought our leaders stood up. Two young teams, I think they (Carlton) will be pleased with their effort. Very difficult to fly over to WA as a young group. It’s a big challenge…there were 40,000 in the crowd today, the bulk of them would have been Dockers supporters, so a tough environment. I thought their leaders stood up as well. I thought (Marc) Murphy, (Patrick) Cripps and (Kade) Simpson were really strong for them. In the end, after half time we turned it around quite strongly. I would have liked to have finished it off a little bit better. They responded early in the last, Cripps got to work, Murphy got to work, Simpson and (Dale) Thomas. Thomas was very good for them today. I would have liked to have finished it a little bit better but we turned that around 12 minutes into the last quarter and then created more opportunities and scored again. That was positive.
You have quite an injury toll now, it looks like you lost Michael Walters?
We did, he will be done for the year now. Another hamstring. It’s a big number now, I think we are looking at 14 or 15 players on our list. It’s a bit of a challenge, a fair bit of quality in there. I think they have about the same number. From our end, if you think Sandilands, Fyfe, Hill, Blakely, Brayshaw, Logue hasn’t played all year. There are more than we desire in there. I think not only have Richmond proven to be the best team, they have the best availability as they did last year. We’d all like to get their secret for success of player availability. If you look around, GWS, Port Adelaide, those teams around the mix are losing players. It’s going to be very difficult to compete against Richmond with a full list.
Bailey Banfield came out, was that more team balance?
That was team balance, it was a really difficult decision. Not ideal for Bailey but we finalised it today and told him. He was obviously disappointed but needed to carry himself well. I thought Shane Kersten came in and contributed really strongly. To be brutally honest, it was about (Matthew) Kruezer and (Matthew) Lobbe. They would have had the three talls if you think (Harry) McKay is 200cm, and (Charlie) Curnow is a star at 195cm. Then Kruezer would have been playing forward at 200cm so rather than Luke Ryan play, we made that call. That’s why we did it. Then, ironically, Kruezer misses so we weren’t to know that. But Kersten is very mobile and I thought he played quite well.
Cam McCarthy looked to take a step forward today, what did you make of it?
I think it links him to what I spoke about earlier because we used the ball better and equalised, he’s going to look a better player. When you have roll off defenders who don’t have an opponent because they are sitting up in the midfield, it’s very hard to judge your key forwards. I think Cox, McCarthy and Taberner, you know Dermott Brereton spoke pre-game about ‘they are your three’. Bar Taberner, they are quite young, and he’s really coming to hand. That’s what our future looks like. At the end of the day, you have to grow your own, if you can’t get them through the door. I am really pleased with what those three can do, if we give them some good looks and some good opportunities with equal numbers, they look quite dangerous.
You haven’t had those three together, what’s it like to have them together?
You saw it today, Taberner took a couple of good contested marks, brought the ball to ground a fair bit. We’ve missed him all year really. I know from how limited and off legs, to what he has come in and done all bodes well for the future for us. Where he left off is how he has come back really. On limited preparation, he’s playing pretty good footy. Since he came through the door, he’s been our hardest worker. He had an opportunity to leave, but he loves the place, he loves Perth. He’s committed to us, so that’s exciting as well.
Cox looks like he’s got a lot of tools in the shed, but the goal kicking still seems to be an area for improvement.
Earlier in the year we were complimenting him, so swings and roundabouts. He just needs to re-focus, I think he’s kicked 2.3. One from the boundary where he should have passed it, but I think he’s missed a couple in the corridor. (Development coach) Brent Guerra has worked really well with him, so Brent will just re-focus and do some extra work with him.
This is your eighth win, you had eight last year.
I more enjoyed when they were 16s, 19s and 20s. We’re not there yet, but we are a growth mindset club, not fixed mindset. We know if we keep putting in the effort, and we desire and work hard to improve, that we will. We’re not fixed, we know that. It was really pleasing today. To get eight wins in the context of how much younger we are, we are a lot younger again. I think we had eight players played 20 games or less. We’re banging games into them and we’re seeing them gradually improve. Cerra struggled a little bit today, but we know it’s still good for him to play. We need to keep growing, it’s a long, drawn-out process but you need to keep practising hard.
You’re seeing the real progress from last year to this?
In context of what you’re talking about, the eight wins. When we’ve won this year, we have won better. A lot of tight games, we’ve won with a better method. Out of the last three weeks, there are some strong pointers of what we need to improve and I think we tried hard to do that today.
So the eight wins this year are more significant than last year? In terms of showing signs of progress?
In the context of how young we are. We were young (last year) but I think we are younger again. There’s no Fyfe, no Stephen Hill, no Sandilands. We are glimpsing to what we look like. They have to grow and stand up.
Fyfe’s chances for next week?
Slim
What do you want to get out of the last two games? You are playing quality teams.
Identical. Bring the growth mindset, starts in our next review and training. You’re right, there’s a bigger challenge. Geelong, I watched the second quarter at the club. Hawthorn had full control, then you come back later and Geelong are back in it. Chris Scott is a very good coach. Tactically, he clearly adjusted on the run. They play us and then I think they play Suns down at home. They will mark in two wins against teams at the lower reaches of the ladder. We competed really well down there last year, last kick of the game. We need to go down there and compete strongly and try to improve our method. It counts. We haven’t shut up shop. There has been good spirit all year, I asked for a passionate, committed performance as last week was and I think we got that today.
Was Luke Ryan getting managed through today? He seemed to be getting a bit of treatment on and off the bench.
They tested his hamstring early, we thought we’d lost him early but he was fine. Under a bit of duress, he played well. My understanding he is clear but that could change.
Any other injuries?
Bar Walters, that’s it. A couple of bruises.
