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West Coast Eagles coach John Worsfold has slammed former coaches, now media identities, Stan Alves and Grant Thomas following his club’s 34-point loss to Melbourne at the MCG today.
The 5.15 (45) to 11.13 (79) loss keeps West Coast mired on four wins, with just two matches to play and on track to receive a priority selection at November’s AFL national draft.
With premiership favourites Hawthorn and Geelong still on West Coast’s agenda, the club appears unlikely to garner the one more win it needs to miss out on the additional pick.
Alves and Thomas both claimed during the week this would be a boon for the Eagles but a furious Worsfold was having none of that.
“It was a disgraceful thing to say,” Worsfold said.
“For coaches like them to talk about it like that is a disgrace to them as people.”
Worsfold said he was aware of the widespread discussion in AFL circles of tanking but stressed that his club had never been associated with such talk.
“Our club has never been a willing participant in anything like that,” he said.
The West Coast mentor was nearly as savage when discussion turned to his own side, branding the effort against the Demons as “terrible”.
“It was well below what we expect. Even for a side as young as that, it wasn’t acceptable.”
Melbourne coach Dean Bailey was able to relax ever so slightly as his team drew away for an emphatic win.
Melbourne’s other two wins this year have been by less than a goal, so as the Demons iced this one with a few late goals, Bailey was able to reflect on a satisfying day at the office.
“It was important for our members and supporters who have been coming here week after week in what has been a tough season. We are able to repay them today to some degree.”
The Demons trailed by 18 points early in the second quarter, which Bailey put down to too much handball, but once his side moved the ball quickly and more directly, the scoreboard started to tick over.
The Demons were eight points ahead by half-time and never really in trouble thereafter.
Bailey said the next step for the Demons would be to produce that effort on a consistent basis and not needed to be prodded into action the week after a hammering.
“The opposition can’t give you the impetus to play well the next week,” he said, referring to the 116-point thrashing his side suffered at the hands of Geelong last weekend.
Bailey chose not to individualise, but did send a subtle message to the AFL Rising Star selectors to keep Cale Morton in their sights this week.
The fourth selection overall at last year’s national draft has yet to be nominated but finished with 30 possessions and 17 marks in a sublime performance.
“Cale has been consistent the whole year. Cale has been very, very good the whole year,” Bailey said.
Melbourne visit Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium next Saturday in what will serve as a homecoming for Bailey, a longtime assistant to Port coach Mark Williams, and finish their season back at the MCG against Richmond.
One piece of good news for West Coast was that defender Beau Wilkes, who was stretchered from the ground in the last quarter in a neck brace, has recovered well and should be available to take on Hawthorn at Subiaco on Sunday.
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