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‘We got smoked’: Fremantle coach laments poor performance against arch rivals

Fremantle were dismantled by arch rivals West Coast by

Published by
Aidan Cellini

Fremantle fans would be utterly disappointed with the outcome from Saturday night, being downed by arch-rivals West Coast to the tune of 37 points.

Conceding his team was "smoked" by an undermanned and inspired Eagles outfit, Dockers coach Justin Longmuir said in multiple areas his men were down but was mostly disappointed by the lack of fight in the contest.

"From the 20-minute mark in the first quarter for about two-and-a-half quarters, we got smoked in the contest," Longmuir said after the match.

"We knew what we were getting. Their form over the last two weeks has been really good and they did to us what they did to Richmond. We prepared for that, but we weren't good enough to handle it.

"We've got to be better than that. We've got to be able to respond quicker, and I thought once they got on top of the scoreboard, we started getting reactive … so a lot went wrong."

Fremantle were kept goalless in the first term while the Eagles ran rampant, putting the game away by the main break.

Coach Adam Simpson was buoyed by the club's performances over the last few weeks, noting a reward for effort.

"We've had a good couple of weeks," Simpson said post-game.

"We're not the finished product at all. We had a good day today and we played a really good side we highly respect and they had an off day as well. So we're pretty steady on this one.

"I'll have a quiet one tonight, but I won't be doing a lap of honour this week."

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 14: Harley Reid of the Eagles celebrates a goal during the 2024 AFL Round 05 match between the West Coast Eagles and the Richmond Tigers at Optus Stadium on April 14, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Simpson - who couldn't be more impressed with young gun Harley Reid's efforts in his first Western Derby - lauded the reigning number one pick, saying he's exceeding all expectations.

"We love what Harley's doing and our internal expectations are not what he's producing - they (his performances) are a lot higher," Simpson said.

"They're probably just meeting expectations publicly, so I'm really cautious to not overplay it … it's hard to sustain that coming into the AFL.

"But while he keeps doing it, I think we should all enjoy it. Let's not get too worried if he has an off day.

"He's playing with that spirit and freedom that I think we all appreciate and enjoy. Today he did a little bit differently, he kicked three and really energised the crowd and the players but we're not expecting that every week.

"I'm sure Harley will be the first to say it's not about him."

The Eagles notched their second consecutive win, while the Dockers are currently on a three-game losing streak.

Published by
Aidan Cellini