West Coast coach Adam Simpson has defended his decision to include veteran trio Luke Shuey, Tim Kelly and Elliot Yeo for his team’s match against Sydney, despite the Eagles’ heavy loss.
The veteran-laden Eagles squad, which also welcomed back milestone man Jamie Cripps, was held scoreless in a home first quarter for the first time in 430 games in Perth as the Swans ran out 63-point winners.
Shuey, Kelly and Yeo all looked underdone, as Simpson made major changes to a team that recorded a spirited win over Collingwood in round four.
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While the premiership-winning coach admitted there were no excuses, he defended his decision to bring back his star men all at once.
“We had our captain coming back, we’ve got Elliot Yeo two-time All-Australian and best and fairest winner in Tim Kelly, and Jamie Cripps,” Simpson said.
“So, they’re very good players. But the synergy is not there obviously. But that’s not a reason for the first quarter in particular.
“So, we’re not making any excuses. But synergy is going to be difficult. It’s been a challenge all year.
“Three players have played every game (Shannon Hurn, Like Foley and Patrick Naish).
“I think we can own what happened and understand we’ve got a lot of work to do on and off the field, with how we train and fitness and synergy.
“That sits behind the disappointment of tonight.”
The Eagles currently sit 16th on the ladder with just four premiership points and a paltry percentage of 69.2 per cent after five matches this season.