West Coast interim coach Jarrad Schofield says he’s not prepared to “hand out games” for the sake of a rebuild as he takes the reins from Adam Simpson for the remainder of the season.
Schofield’s first match resulted in a 13-point loss to top four contenders Brisbane at Optus Stadium, but the coach said he liked what he saw from a number of youngsters.
The Eagles went into the match having dropped veteran Jack Darling, while the likes of Dom Sheed and Andrew Gaff aren’t in the line up.
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And the coach said there’s no guarantee those Eagles will get a recall for the clash with the Saints.
“For Jack to go back and play, as disappointing as it was for him, it’s a testament to him. He’s a player that has a strong standing in this football club,” he said.
“We’ll give opportunities to players if they perform.
“Yes, we are in an exploration period where guys, we want to see what they can bring – but we’re not here to hand out games.
“There’s got to be a balance.
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“We’re really positive and encouraging to the players.
“When you win a WAFL game, there’s going to be some good performances.
“Selection, we’ll reward players for form. But also we’re not going to hand out games.
“I think that builds a strong foundation when it comes to selection.”
Schofield called out the work of the likes of Ryan Maric in his first game on the wing and the midfield efforts of young Zane Trew in just his eighth AFL game.
And Trew’s efforts weren’t unnoticed by his teammates.
“He’s been battling away really well in the WAFL so it’s well deserved,” Jayden Hunt told foxfooty.com.au
“I thought he showed some really good things – he played on Lachie Neale who’s a two-time Brownlow Medallist so he’s going to learn a lot from that.”
Hunt said the focus was now staying competitive in the final six matches – and hopefully coming away with some wins.
“(Sunday’s match) is a step in the right direction,” he said.
“We put in a good fight against one of the best teams in the comp.
“We want to show that fight and keep improving.
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“That consistency has been troubling us this season. If we can put in six more games of really tough footy, hopefully get a few wins and compete with these good teams, that would build momentum for next year.
“We want to be able to get into situations like today and then win the game.
“The baseline is competing hard and really make the opposition earn it.
“We want to get over the line ourselves and get those wins.”
Schofield admitted it had been a “trying” week, that culminated with touching pre-game scenes as ex-coach Adam Simpson bid farewell to Eagles’ fans.
Rival coach Chris Fagan said he hoped Simpson wasn’t lost to the game.
“He’s a 200-plus game coach – that’s hard to do,” he said post-match.
“I hope he’s not lost to football. I hope he bobs up somewhere else in whatever role because he’s got a lot to offer.”