We certainly did. I think the first thing is it was a really big occasion, Friday night rematch of the grand final and we know both teams’ personnel. We certainly came to play, we had really good preparation, there are no excuses here for particularly our first half. We are really disappointed we’re licking our wounds at the minute. All credit to our opposition they won the ball incredibly well, they spread, we couldn’t find them. All kudos to Hawthorn but I thought we found a way to have some resilience and persist and try a few things but that honourable stuff late doesn’t thrill us.
Does it show just how important Barlow and Fyfe are?
They are significant players but we are a no excuse football team. We’ve won without those guys before. Certainly their midfield was well on top of ours. Mick’s not going to be there for five or six weeks and Nathan still got another week to serve. They’re not irreplaceable we need to stand up there is plenty of people with opportunity we certainly felt we picked a team to do that. Clearing we need to go away and review, it wont be a long review we will just look at the first 30 minutes and a little bit of the second just to show what we got well beaten in.
Did you feel the 'ins' were able to step up, or did your senior players let you down?
I think it was the weight of numbers. To individualise I think Stephen Hill fought on like a caged lion, we had some individuals but when the whips were cracking there wasn’t too many winners in their positions. I thought they dominated us all over the ground. In the second I suppose we kicked one – six. We were trying to hit the scoreboard, again all credit to them and we were really disappointing in all positions and facets. It’s not something we are proud of. We are disappointed for our fans and members and we are keen to rectify it. We will be able to identify but it’s too late you need to try and get it done on the night and bank the four points. There are few precious opportunities to win games of football, we’re 2-1, we’ll take that. We get another opportunity next weekend against Essendon that probably could have or should have beaten Hawthorn the week before.
How hard is it to leave behind a result like that?
Past results are irrelevant they don’t determine the next result, they’re independent. You certainly use them as a learning tool, that’s our model.
What's the verdict on Ibbotson?
(Garrick) Ibbotson dislocated his shoulder and popped it back in that’s my understanding. The ankles we’re going to have to assess them, do they blow up are they good? It’s not ideal but that’s life in the AFL jungle.
Which first half statistic is the most damning?
I think you’ve just spoken about the contest and spread. Teams can win contested ball and if they don’t spread you can handle them teams that win and spread you’re going to be 57 points down at half time. All the phases are important with or without (the ball) and in the contest you can’t have the phase with if you’re not winning it or working hard without it.
Or was it it that their skill level is higher?
No, coming in clearance is their strength. They have been hurt on possession with turnovers so that’s their vulnerability, but you’ve got to be able to turn it over. You’ve got to be strong at the clearances which we have really struggled with and we couldn’t find them to cause turnovers.
Did you allow yourself a moment to revel in Cyril Rioli's performance?
I think you make it go right. There’s a little bit of luck in the business but that didn’t look too lucky. He’s a very talented player but I marvelled at Pavlich kicking four goals, I really focus on our players. I get he’s a great player but I don’t sit there with my popcorn, we’re not 20 and zero if we were I might have got the popcorn out and enjoyed his mark a little more.
Eight seasons of coaching and you haven't really lost by that margin. Did it feel like a big loss?
No, I’ve been in bigger holes than this I don’t like the ‘I doctor’ when it’s about me. I’m the coach of Fremantle, I certainly wont forget 2007 when people were coming over the fence then. It was a pretty difficult time, I learnt a lot of lessons about a lot of things and what doesn’t kill you makes you strong. I certainly have been in bigger holes, more people coming over the fence than this one. It doesn’t worry me, but I have a long memory so I learn who and what and why and how to handle it. Round 15 last year was very similar to this, conditions, attitude, effort, certainly as a coaching group it starts and stops with us an our players we don’t separate ourselves. We win and loose together, last year round 15 everyone said the same thing. How do you leave losses like that behind? Well we did it last year and you improve and you keep going forward. You’re effort can’t be determined by results, short term ones, minute by minute, quarter by quarter or by game. Individuals, coaches and club that get their effort determined by results never improve or grow. We don’t think we want to be on that side of the ledger.
How concerning was it?
We lost four points, we’ll lick our wounds and move on, it’s not ideal.
How bad is Ibbotson?
I’m not sure we will have a medical meeting tomorrow and assess it. I still haven’t spoken to the players. They have showered and iced up. I’ll have a quick word to them after the game and so will the medical team. The obvious ones were (Michael) Walters and (Chris) Mayne, they were ankles and (Garrick) Ibbotson was a shoulder. I think that was the size of it roughly.
Did you carry any soft injuries into the game
No, not one.
