West Coast Aims for Redemption Against Richmond
West Coast’s leadership has made a strong commitment to rectify their performance after suffering a massive 101-point defeat against St Kilda last week. The team is now set to face off against fellow struggling side Richmond at Optus Stadium on Saturday, with the hope of turning their season around.
Earlier in the season, the Eagles had shown promise with comeback victories over North Melbourne and Port Adelaide, which led to optimism that the worst of their struggles might be behind them. However, this optimism was quickly dashed as the team, who finished as wooden spooners last year, experienced a sharp decline over the past month. They have suffered heavy losses to Sydney (128 points), Geelong (46 points), Fremantle (56 points), and the Saints (101 points).
West Coast currently sits at 2-5 on the ladder, and their roster is the youngest and most inexperienced in the league. Despite this, it is the senior players who have struggled to provide the necessary leadership on the field.
Co-captain Liam Duggan has faced criticism due to several turnovers, while Jamie Cripps, Matt Flynn, Tom Cole, Harry Schoenberg, and Matt Owies have all been dropped at various points this season due to poor form. All-Australian forward Jake Waterman has also had an inconsistent season, scoring just 12.20 so far. Similarly, Liam Baker’s performance has been up and down.
Owies, Schoenberg, and Cole have recently been recalled to take on the Tigers, and coach Andrew McQualter is hopeful that the more experienced players will deliver a significant improvement.
“We had a really strong player-led review on Tuesday, so they’ve taken ownership of it and our leaders demanded a better effort in the game,” McQualter said. “We think we’re getting a great output from our young players. They’re playing a high level of football. We’ve got to share the load, and certainly our mature players and our leaders are really keen to atone for last week and really the last month.”
Waterman, known for his exceptional accuracy, had a record of 149.79 before this season. However, his performance has been less consistent this year.
“Jake’s had the (equal) third most shots in the comp, so supply and the looks he’s getting is good – he’s just not quite been able to finish his work like he has in the past,” McQualter said. “He’s normally incredibly accurate. He barely misses (at training). He’s working on it, and I’m sure it’ll turn for him soon.”
Richmond’s Injury Woes Continue
Richmond’s situation is no better, as their injury crisis has worsened. On Friday, defender Josh Gibcus was ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining an ACL strain during a VFL match. Although he won’t require a full knee reconstruction, he will spend the next six weeks in a brace before undergoing surgery to stabilise his lateral knee. The club expects Gibcus to be sidelined for about six months.
This news comes shortly after Sam Lalor injured his Achilles tendon during training on Thursday, with no firm timeline for his return yet. Other players on the injury list include Toby Nankervis (hamstring), Maurice Rioli (hamstring), Hugo Ralphsmith (knee), Tim Taranto (concussion), and Josh Smillie (quad). With 16 players currently sidelined, the Tigers are facing a tough challenge ahead.
