Western Bulldogs star Adam Treloar says he used media criticism as fuel for his performance in the preliminary final, but admits the noise was “challenging”.
Treloar was singled out after his side’s one-point semi-final win over the Brisbane Lions after managing just ten disposals, but responded with 23 touches and a goal in the 71-point win over Port Adelaide on Saturday.
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After qualifying for the second AFL grand final of his career, the 28-year-old midfielder opened up on the impact of being grilled in the lead-up to the preliminary final.
“It was, obviously, a really challenging week for me personally. It was quite challenging to be honest,” he told reporters on Monday.
“The one thing I do love about the footy club, and being a part of a footy club, is the backing you get not just from the coaches but the players and supporters. And the love and care I got from so many people in my circle, and all they care about is me the person not the footy player.
“It really put me in a good headspace going into the game … for me, it was just getting back to the basics and getting back out there and really enjoying being out there.
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“It’s been sometimes, as I said before, a challenge being away from family and your loved ones.
“You always hold [the criticism] with you. I think you’d be lying to say that, as an athlete, you wouldn’t be extra motivated.”
Treloar’s comments came after Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge took a swipe at his critics in the wake of the team’s preliminary final win, labelling the analysis as “distasteful”.
One such critic of Treloar’s was Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes, who despite Beveridge’s attack, did not back down from his comments in the previous week.
“I was critical of Adam Treloar’s body language and his performance last week, and I stand by it,” he told Nine’s AFL Sunday Footy Show.
“I’d challenge anyone to go back and look at Adam Treloar’s efforts last week, they were poor, we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t call it out, to the point where he almost gave up in some contests.”