Eagles take 'a step backwards', Fraser flags 'growing pains' despite Blues' resurgence

WEST Coast may have already quadrupled last year's one-win tally, but the demoralising 53-point loss to Carlton was "a step backwards".

The Eagles managed just six marks inside 50 under the roof of Marvel Stadium, against a Carlton defence missing All-Australian Jacob Weitering and led by 18-year-old Harry Dean, and were even out-tackled in the near-nine goal defeat.

"We don't specifically speak wins, because it's outcome-based, but we need some more wins, absolutely, and we're desperate to win as many games as possible coming home. We really want to keep building the way we played," West Coast coach Andrew McQualter said.

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"We took a step backwards today, which was disappointing, but we'll go away, we'll figure out why and how and more importantly, what we do about it.

"We definitely weren't at the same level we've been at for eight weeks, which is disappointing. Any time a team has 120 uncontested marks against you, you're going to struggle. That was our plan going into the game – to take that away from them, and we didn't get it done.

"We'll go back and look at the tape and we'll work out why. Sometimes it's connected to your offence as well. There was too much detail we didn't get right today and Carlton punished us."

The forward line was well and truly outplayed, with spearhead Jake Waterman once again fighting a battle with his opponent and his own mental demons, kicking three behinds late. Although he did hand off a near-certain opportunity to Jobe Shanahan.

"I think third quarter we eventually got one (a mark inside 50), but it was a battle, and we only got [six] for the day. So certainly not the way you want to set the game up to attack.

"Couple of things. Little bit connected to our ball use, little bit connected to Carlton's really proactive defence – they defended well, their backs defended well, their team defended well, so challenged us. But we've got to be able to find ways to get easier and better shots at goal.

"Sometimes when they're flying with their opponents, it's multiple people in a marking contest, and you'd rather more fly than none. I thought we did have some looks at marking the ball inside 50 in the first half, they just didn't stick today as much as we'd like, but we'll keep working with these guys."

Top five pick Cooper Duff-Tytler finished the game at three-quarter time with a calf concern.

"Minor, we think. We were trying, and hopeful that he would be able to continue, but he just had some tightness or awareness. As with all our players, particularly with our young ones, we're not going to take risk. Not sure yet, we'll go away and have a look at it," McQualter said.

Carlton interim coach Josh Fraser continued to hose down the hype around him potentially taking on the permanent role, having now jumped to a 6-0 record.

"Not a bigger itch. I've had the ambition for a long time, and like I said earlier in the week, you never quite know when you're ready. This is giving me quite a unique opportunity to learn and grow in the chair. It is an interim role, I'm acutely aware of that, but really my focus is on making sure the club is in a better place at the end of the season," Fraser said.

"The only thing I'd like right now is to go and review the game really well and make sure we're set up well on Monday. I understand the questioning, I really do, but I'd love to think this is less about me and more about our football club, our coaching group, our footy department, but most importantly, our players.

"There are a lot of good things happening at the moment, and that's not just based on results, that's based on the process in what we're doing. I'm a part of that, but I'm not the whole thing. That's probably where I'll leave that."

Fraser wasn't getting carried away with the result, despite it being both Carlton's highest score and biggest win of the year.

"I thought it was a step forward, in terms of what the game presented in terms of a challenge. Watching West Coast a little bit, I really like what they're building, so that presented a challenge around the way they're trying to play," he said.

"I think teams who are trying to build an identity can become dangerous – the way we were able to manage some of their strengths was pleasing, defending the ground largely pretty well.

"There were some moments in the game I wasn't thrilled with, but that's part of our learning and I just said to the boys, if I'm to surmise where we're at, I think we're still going through some growing pains, and we're getting results, but there are still parts of our game we've got to get to work on."

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