Dismal West Coast performance against Richmond 'as bad as anything I've seen', says Matthew Lloyd
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has unloaded on the West Coast Eagles for their disastrous showing against Richmond, calling the performance "as bad as anything I've seen in a long, long time".
The Eagles were brutally dismantled on their home patch by a hungry Tigers side, with Richmond piling on 25 goals to eight in a 109-point demolition job.
The loss continued a miserable start to the season for the veteran-laden Eagles squad that has won just one of its first seven games and has a paltry percentage of 55.3.
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It was the fourth time in five weeks that the Eagles had been beaten by 50 points or more, with the performance leaving Lloyd stunned.
Josh J. Kennedy and Shannon Hurn of the Eagles walk from the field after the loss to Richmond Getty
"It was close to not being an AFL team, that's how bad this performance was," he told Nine's Footy Classified.
"Yes, Richmond was sensational and made them pay, but they were belted by Sydney and then Port Adelaide and I was expecting the first 10 minutes to be ferocious from the West Coast.
"I could see very early that wasn't going to be the case. It's as bad as anything I've seen in a long, long time."
While the Eagles' pre-season was ruined by a spate of injuries as well as COVID-19 cases, Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes suggested the club was out of excuses, pointing the finger at the club's list management.
The decision to offload three draft picks for Tim Kelly has not worked as well as the Eagles had hoped Getty
"Make no mistake, this isn't COVID-19, an injury or those issues," he said.
"This has been building for a long time and this is the reason why: because of their list management decisions.
"There's no secrets - (get) top 10 talent into your club and let them develop over time."
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According to Cornes, the long rebuild facing the Eagles raises questions over whether the club's premiership-winning coach Adam Simpson will remain at the helm.
"It's going to take them five or six years to build up that stock of draft picks and then the question has to be, 'Is Adam Simpson the guy?'," he asked.
Kane Cornes doesn't believe Adam Simpson (R) will remain at the Eagles to oversee a lengthy rebuild Daniel Carson/Getty Images
"He's a terrific coach, a premiership coach, but he looks exhausted to me. He looks shot, I've never seen him so flustered when he fronts the media.
"I don't think he's going to be there for the next five-to-six years to do what Fremantle has done and to be prepared to go through that pain until you can get that top-end talent into your club and then turn it around."
Cornes was backed up by Lloyd, who compared Simpson to his predecessor John Worsfold.
"I remember seeing John Worsfold at the end of his time at West Coast and thought it's probably time because he looked absolutely exhausted, I see the same with Adam Simpson currently," he said.
Simpson and the Eagles' task gets no easier in round eight when they travel to Brisbane to take on the second-placed Lions at the Gabba.
