Justin was that your poorest effort for some time?
Definitely since the Geelong game. It was really disappointing from the start, we got smacked around the ball and got beaten at the contest early which gave them field position. They were bigger and stronger and more desperate, which is disappointing.
Did your defenders get found out a bit too?
What we were doing up the ground didn’t help, but I thought we let GWS play the game on their terms too often and the scoreboard reflected that. I thought they did some smart things with their forwards, they sacrificed for each other to create one-on-ones and we didn’t handle that at all.
Your desperation levels have been so good in recent weeks, do you know why they weren’t there today?
The Giants season was on the line and they were desperate to get four points and their strength is at the contest. Their ball movement is a strength but their number one strength is the contest and clearance and it was a step up for us today and we didn’t handle it. We’ve got a few lessons to learn and we’ve got to learn them pretty quick.
Is it valuable for your younger players to see the pressure GWS bought today?
There’s a clear level that we need to get to and we’re not up to it. I thought David Mundy, especially in that second quarter was at that level, but as a collective we weren’t. It’s important for those inside mids to understand that but it’s also important for our forwards to understand that because contests allow us to play the game in our front half. It allows us to get field position. Our defenders need to learn that lesson as well because their contest behind the ball wasn’t good enough today either. It’s for all our lines to learn.
Luke Ryan came off in the final quarter, is he okay?
He landed heavily in a marking contest against (Ian) Hill, he hurt his hip. It just looks like it’s bruised but he was a bit sore. There’s no point leaving him out there if he’s sore, so we decided to take him off.
With such a short break is he in doubt for Wednesday’s game?
Yes, of course he is.
What about Nat Fyfe, a few times when he’d run it looked like he was labouring a bit. Is he 100 per cent?
Yes, he’s fine.
What did you make of his treatment around the stoppages? It seemed like he was perhaps being held back at times?
A lot of mids get held back. He’s a two time Brownlow medallist, he’s the best clearance player in the competition so he’s going to get some attention. He usually handles it really well. I’ll have to have a look but maybe he didn’t handle it as well today, but he’s dealt with that before, and handled it before and he’ll be right with that.
What sort of space are you in to make some changes? Is that going to be likely over the coming period?
It’s something we will look at. If it’s not this week on our four-day break, then with the game after we’ve got a five-day break, so we will start looking to give some players a rest if they need to. Also, on the other hand I think it’s a good opportunity for our players to actually build some resilience and understand how much work the body can handle. So I think if they are up to it, we will look to give our players as much game time and as many games over this period as we can. I think it’s a good thing for (Andy) Brayshaw and (Adam) Cerra to have to back up and learn to tolerate playing with a bit of soreness. It won’t hurt them in the long run, it will just build resilience in our group. We’re not just going to rest players for the sake of resting players. They will have to be sore, and have something wrong with them to get that luxury.
Reece Conca went down off the ball, how was he?
I didn’t see it. I haven’t spoken to him yet.
Was it disappointing to see the run and bounce that (Lachie) Whitfield was able to give GWS?
It is, you try and send someone to him and the forward gets tied up in trying to get the ball and he sat off and read the play perfectly. He ran so hard all the time, you’ve got to have the right match up and we couldn’t find the right match up today. When the game gets played on their terms and they are moving the ball freely he’s impossible to stop, he’s pivotal. They had a lot of winners across the field today.
Do you need to think about giving Stephen Hill a rest?
He isn’t in his best form and I don’t know whether a break is going to help that. I think more continuity and getting him out there is going to help him. The few days break with his history is going to play a part in the next three games, so I don’t envision him playing all of them. We will just manage him through, I think he needs to play and start feeling comfortable out there again and understanding what he can do and rediscovering that form of old. He’s had such an injury interrupted two years that we just need him out there finding his feet again because he’s a really important player and he’s still got a lot to offer this club.
So you’re confident he can rediscover that?
I’ve got no doubt.
