You started well but went away?
We started well, in the first quarter around the stoppages we were pretty good and we surged the ball forward. The forwards were in front and we were able to capitalise on most of our entries, we kicked 5.1 from about 10 entries so it was a good start. Then we struggled to get it out of the back half from there on in. In the third quarter they had 18 entries to one, so it was heading in and out of our back half. It’s been the story of our year, I thought our skill execution and our ability to move our ball by foot, especially in that back half, hurt us. I guess with ground position and territory, I think the inside 50s were double at one point. It’s always hard to kick scores from your back half and they had numbers in that part of the ground.

What is the message to the group going forward? Is it on the skill execution, that even though you’ve changed the coach, you’ve got to keep working on those issues?
That was the final message (post-game) really. Individually and collectively, it’s something we need to get better at. You can have as many ball movement strategies and structures in place, but if you’re kicking the ball back to them, it makes it hard. That was the key message, to go away, refresh, enjoy yourself but individually like I said, they need to own it themselves. We can drive them and push them but collectively, they need to improve that themselves.

Did the emotion of the week take its toll?
It was a tough week obviously. I thought the attitude all week, they were pretty up and about and bubbly. We focused on the start and the start was something we were pretty good at, but maintaining that at a level for four quarters is obviously the task for the young group. I think we had 28 or 29 to pick from this week so it was always going to be a battle. 

How did you find the kids today?
I thought Dixon competed down the line. He’s a pretty raw talent. He’s been in our system for a couple of years and hopefully this sniff was a good insight into the professionalism to what it takes going forward. He needs to have a really big summer and come forward. Obviously, when we our three or five key talls come back in he’s got to fight for his way to get in but I thought he showed good signs. Scotty Jones, I thought he competed in the ruck. He followed up, I know he hasn’t played too much footy but I thought his contesting and hit around the ball was good and as you said we threw a few things around, Ethan Hughes went forward to help us compete and Adam Cerra and Andrew Brayshaw through the midfield. They’re both going to be our future going forward so it was good to get a glimpse of that as well.

How did you find the experience sitting in the chair?
I enjoyed it. The whole week is a big learning with the meetings, preparation and the opposition stuff is all a step up compared to what you do as a line coach but I thoroughly   enjoyed it and obviously something I’ll remember going forward.

Did today make you want a top job more?
Obviously, being able to see things that you probably don’t look at as closely as a line coach,  getting a whole ground perspective is something that the head coach has to pick up how the backs are positioning, how the mids are positioning and the how the forwards are going as well but definitely something I’ll consider going forward and speak with friends and family and people that are close to me and see what the direction is and the next step is I suppose.

Who’s running the exit interviews in the off-season?
Not really sure. That’s something Peter Bell and the board will discuss going forward. For me it was get the team to today’s game and we’ll take over and see how it falls from here.

Have you had any indication on whether the club wants to go with a younger coach going forward, or if they want to have an experienced coach coming in?
No, I’ve had no word at all. Obviously, that’s a big decision for the board and club to make going forward and they’ll make the best decision in the interest of the club

What about personnel wise, are there any gaps that you need to fill, even if you are in charge or not, going into next year?
I think earlier in the year when we had our full complement of players, I thought we were more than competitive, obviously we’ve lost pretty much our entire spine, our centre-half-back, ruck and three key forwards it makes it hard. I think if you take that out of any team, you’re going to struggle to be able to impact and penetrate going forward. I think our best 22-25 is more than competitive, it’s obviously the depth after that where it starts to become a little bit tough. I think key future stocks if they can remain healthy are pretty good and then obviously a lot comes down to who you retain and who you can bring through the door. Obviously a quick inside mid that can use the ball well you can target, but they don’t grow on trees obviously so finding someone like that will be important. We lost Wilson, Ryan and Alex Pearce which is half of our back line so the turnovers in the back half when you’ve lost a couple of your best ball users can also make it hard. 

Bradley Hill, what’s the process from here with him?
As far as I know he’s still contracted for a couple of years so the club will make a decision that’s in their best interest and obviously there are guys that have moved before but I’m sure the club going forward will make their decision. Most of the time I think they try to accommodate the player as much as they can, but Brad’s always been a spark around the group, even with my time at Hawthorn he was always an energetic, bubbly character and got the group up. Hopefully we can retain him but that will play out in due course.

Do you have a gut feeling on Ed Langdon as well?
No idea, he’s the same obviously a Melbourne boy but I think he enjoys Perth a lot, he’s got a really good bond with a lot of the players but at the end of the day it’s above me.