Missed goals didn’t worry Simmo
West Coast have taken so much confidence from their brilliant start to the year that they had no concerns about their goal kicking or the scoreline at half-time yesterday.
The Eagles had kicked a terrible 4.17 at half-time and led by just nine points, which left the door open for Geelong to get back into the match.
But instead of being angry at his players for wasting their opportunities, coach Adam Simpson simply reminded the team of their past achievements.
“Simmo came in at half-time and said he wasn’t worried with it. He said it was a one off and we should back ourselves in,” Sinclair said.
“When it comes to goal kicking, we practice every day. We have great faith in our routines and our programs. I was part of the group that was missing. But it’s not a pattern within the group.
“And, we’re the number one second half team in the comp so we’re really happy with the way we’re starting and really, really happy with how we’re finishing off.”
West Coast reverted back to the team that has been dominating all year after the long break. Their accuracy returned with 12.7 and they conceded only five goals.
West Coast’s tall forwards gave Geelong problems yesterday with Josh Kennedy kicking six majors, Sinclair and Naitanui booting two each and Fraser McInnes snaring one.
Naitanui also took one of the marks of the year after using Sinclair as a stepladder.
“Nic taking a hanger on me wasn’t the best part of my day,” Sinclair laughed.
“I might end up on a poster somewhere now at least. I knew he was coming but I thought he’d hold out and let me take the mark. I found out while I was lying on the ground.
“He’s promised me a car if he takes mark of the year but I will cop a bit of flak this week.”
Sinclair said winning six games in a row gave the team the ideal momentum to build upon. But he felt the ladder was yet to give anyone a true indication of how the season would pan out.
He said playing against North Melbourne, Essendon, Richmond and Melbourne in the next month would give the Eagles a better idea of their prospects.
“Our next month is pretty tough,” Sinclair said.
“We’ve got two six-day breaks, plus we’ve got travels to Tasmania and Melbourne. It’s pretty solid.
“When you’re an interstate side and you’re travelling every second week, you need to bring your preparation to the next level and plan consistently.
“After the next month we will know where we sit. But we are confident we can get the job done.”
