Eagles Suffer Heavy Loss to Carlton

West Coast’s hopes took a big hit after they were trounced by Carlton in a 65-point loss on Sunday. The defeat was particularly disappointing as it came during Andrew Gaff’s milestone 250th match.

Interim coach Jarrad Schofield admitted his team “didn’t really turn up” against a Carlton side that was missing several key players. Despite being down on top talent, the Blues managed to dominate, taking 15 marks inside the 50, scoring 14 goals, while West Coast could only manage four.

Things hit rock bottom during the second term when the Eagles failed to score at all. Schofield’s frustration was clear as he lamented the lack of effort and commitment from his players, which allowed Carlton to run riot.

Schofield pointed out that the players had specific tasks that they didn’t carry out. He highlighted that when key assignments are not followed, it puts unnecessary pressure on other players who then have to step up when they shouldn’t have to.

He also expressed disappointment over the execution, stating, “When you give a task to someone and they don’t execute, that’s when issues arise.” He specifically noted the standout performance from Carlton’s Patrick Cripps, who proved hard to contain throughout the match.

Looking ahead, Schofield hinted that changes would be made for next week’s game against Geelong, wanting to give younger players a chance to grow as they wrap up a tough season.

This loss leaves the Eagles with only one game left this season, making it clear that there is much work to be done in the off-season to turn things around.