What went wrong in your eyes today?
I think you’ve got to pay some respect to the opposition. They certainly were up for the challenge, as we were. They were really good around the ball early, around the clearances and got it forward. We worked back in but they had their noses in front most of the day. We were finding a way to hang in with them which I’m really pleased with. We went to the end until with 40 seconds (to go) we were going in (inside 50) and then it was probably 20 seconds (to go) when they took that mark 30 metres out from our goal. They went to the end the week before. We felt we did. Both teams went to the end again but their pressure was good. Our ball use wasn’t what we wanted it to be coming out of our back half, and I think that was the game to be straight with you. It’s not really complicated. We’d like to use the ball a little bit better than we did and how we have been, but we never gave up. They had the weight of number entries so we will go away and look at that and see where we can improve.
Last week was attacking and free flowing – how did it break down so much this week?
I think it’s about opposition pressure. I think it’s about where you’re getting the ball back. And the other significant difference is out of the middle. It’s becoming so critical now the centre square bounces for ground position. Even at half time I think we had one entry and they had seven. And then that enables you, if you don’t score, to pressure them in a really good part of the ground and I think if both teams went in you’d go, well we would like to win that battle – and then that’s sort of the answer to your question.
So many new faces – are you still learning the chemistry among those gusy?
I’m not sure how much. (Jesse) Hogan played today and made his debut, I thought he was very good and he will only get better. So yeah, there is a bit of that chemistry but the group is in a really good space of hard work and really good chemistry. We saw that, it wasn’t going their way but there were some really good signs of never giving up. They never flicked the bails. I thought they were led strongly by their leaders today, so you walk away really disappointed. Last week we were rapt for the Docker members and partners but I think if you’re a person sitting at home, as frustrated as they’d be, they’d think – they never gave up and they went to the end. The result is feedback of where we need to get better. I’d rather what we did than not have a dip, or come home late. Then it get’s a bit confusing. But this way we were having a dip, not quite there so it’s a little bit clearer in review, it should be, to give us some clarity for what we need to work on.
Jesse’s (Hogan) club debut, what did you think?
I thought he really worked into it, his ability to go through the midfield really helped us and gave us a lift in there. Let’s get to the Gold Coast, they were very good, they had weight in numbers, they were harder for longer and did the basics better for longer. We really need to pay some credit to them as well.
How did you find the forward line mix worked with four talls?
I think as a percentage, if you go to opportunity, we actually scored okay I thought. I won’t really get into numbers, but I thought particularly in the second half we used the ball a bit better on entry. If you go to the numbers our defenders defended pretty well considering the amount that it was going in. You have to look at opportunity and percentages, that’s what it’s about.
You mentioned pre-match that Jesse might not have played if Hayden Ballantyne was fit, is that more about wanting to give him a run at WAFL level or something like that?
No, it was about our 22. I’m an old stickler and don’t always get it right but it would be pretty hard to go to that team from the week before.
Do you think that the Suns have the capacity to surprise a few people this year?
I can only talk through our own experience, they were a hard-nosed team, they were against St Kilda who are in good form so all credit to them. You’re only as good as your next performance and they were very good today, I’m more concerned about our group obviously but it’s a tough business AFL football, you’re only as good as your next week.
What do you want to see more of from your team against St Kilda next week?
We’ll go away, we’ll assess it and review it, we’ll do a sharp review – I thought we were well led, and I thought we never gave up and as I said I thought our ball use coming out of the back half put us under some pressure.
Any injuries?
Not as far as I know
Was there anyone in particular that stuck their hand up for Peel yesterday?
I wasn’t there, we have a WAFL report, so I will get that and assess it.
