Happy to get the four points, difficult week, six day travel off a tough game. We had a couple of players out injured. So really pleasing.
Your efficiency was impressive. You're not going in there much but when you do, it works.
The quarter we scored the most, look, when the game was really up for grabs, our start, we just didn’t tackle, we didn’t have intensity and they were running and zipping. They been under the blowtorch, and their competitiveness was questioned publically in a press conference. They were going to be at the high end of their arousal levels. I just thought we were winning the ball but we were getting stripped and being cute with it, the ball was in their half pretty much, but when we got it, I thought we were really slick with the ball. Halt-time we spoke about lifting our intensity – is this the way we want to play? We tweaked a few things got it into a contest and dominated the third, I think that’s indisputable. Then the last started like that, we kicked the first one, then there was a bit of a breathe out, and to their credit, they kept coming and they’ve dominated the middle. Our centre clearances were not good all day and they were bad in the last quarter. They’ve kicked two out of the middle and four in the last quarter. I thought we stopped and they kept going. One hundred plus points, Hayden Ballantyne and Pavlich were pretty good, we’ll take it. Silvagni had ribs, under difficulty all day. We had a few crook during the week, Suban and Pearce, so we subbed out Pearce. Our leaders stood up at the right time.
Is it important to win and score 100 points on the MCG for your confidence going into finals?
Not really for me. Tim Lane spoke about it, my coaching record here, and I don’t know if it’s home and away or finals. It was 3-7, now it’s 4-8, maybe it’s the quality of opposition. I think on average, the teams I’ve coached played two games out of 22 (at the MCG), I know one was always Geelong and it might have been a Hawthorn or a Richmond, so they’re quality and we don’t play much here. What’s important is that we take some opportunities. We had a great win here in my first year against Richmond, and we played well here against Geelong in elimination finals. We can play here, but to answer your question, no more, no less. We take the four points and go.
Were you happy with how your backline went despite having a couple of players out?
Not in the second quarter I wasn’t. But that was a bit about what was happening up the field. In the end, I thought they forced them wide, they missed a couple of sitters but a lot of their shots were wide. After half-time, probably yes. They took six marks after half-time (in attack). Up to half-time, we were leaking a little bit down there, so it was okay. I thought we slipped to the front a bit, got pushed under, they got out the back, (Jack) Riewoldt, (Shane) Edwards a couple of times.
Are there any concerns over the concentration lapses in the game?
Massive concerns, we don’t like it. We don’t like it all. But it’s a long campaign and you’re not going to be perfect. When you’re going up and down away you’ve got to find a way to get the momentum back. I thought we adjusted really well at half-time, dealt with a couple of things. But at three-quarter-time I didn’t reinforce it, and the things we were doing, one of the players broke and went to doing something else and we had to try and fix it on the run. That let them off the hook a little bit, which is really my fault for not having clarity at three-quarter-time. The lapses aren’t ideal.
What were your thoughts on Hayden Ballantyne's game?
He was fantastic, wasn’t he? He’s enormous. His chase and tackle from behind, there was a big one in the last quarter, and his ability to finish, he’s a great Fremantle person.
On the radio they said he had a tight calf?
He had a tight calf all week, he was really sore coming off, but he finds a way. He’s a beauty.
Is it good to see Ballantyne kick bags of goals?
Really pleasing, he’s a real team driver, a real teal leader. He doesn’t sit in the formal leadership group. But he’s a real team leader and driver.
How did you think Sylvia went?
With me, if you’re going well, I put you to sleep. You’re more likely to come under my nose if you’re struggling and not doing things we want. So he didn’t come under my nose. He didn’t doing anything that caught my attention of ‘that’s not what we do’. So he didn’t get goalside of the wing once in the last quarter. He looked powerful and dangerous in that short sample. I think he’s got a bit to offer us, Col.
Did you like that moment when Mayne flicked it off to Ballantyne. Was that selfless?
It was bold because Aaron Sandilands had flicked one off to him and it didn’t work. But you’re right, he’s a selfless player. He could kick more goals, but he’s very coachable, he chases and tackles a lot. That was more him playing his role, he’s probably more playing Ballas’ role from last year, so yeah, we did like it, it’s good to be selfless. It was good that you take note of that, because they’re the things of team dynamics in good teams. Good teams share it around and are selfless.
Any damage to Silvagni's ribs?
I think with ribs you can control the pain, it’s more if there’s a danger to the lungs. So it must be at the minor end, otherwise he couldn’t have done what he did.
