The West Coast Eagles' lack of discipline is undermining their rebuild, as they sit second-last in the AFL for free kicks conceded. Andrew McQualter's side gave away 23 free kicks in their 11-point loss to Richmond at Optus Stadium on Saturday, including a costly 50-metre penalty that led to a goal in the final term.
Free kick statistics
West Coast are averaging 21 free kicks against per game this season, second only to North Melbourne (22). This trend has become a significant problem, with the Eagles struggling to maintain composure throughout matches.
Costly penalties
In the loss to Richmond, a 50-metre penalty against Steely Green - after no Eagle manned the mark - resulted in a crucial goal. Co-captain Liam Duggan also conceded a holding free kick to Mykelti Lefau in the first quarter, which led to a major when the Tigers were struggling early.
Individual offenders
West Coast have three players among the top 10 worst offenders in the league. Harley Reid leads the competition with 22 free kicks conceded, followed by Liam Baker (16) and injured midfielder Jack Graham (15).
Coach's concerns
McQualter had previously criticised his team's ill-discipline after their Gather Round loss to Geelong, where they gave away three goals from free kicks. "We let ourselves down today in that part of the game," he said. "That was disappointing. It's something we need to rectify really quickly."
He added: "Sometimes frustration boils over. Sometimes fatigue comes into it. But ultimately it is a team game, and you can't let your own individual frustrations become a team problem."
Expert analysis
Former St Kilda coach Scott Watters noted that young teams cannot afford indiscipline when desperate for advantages. "When you're scrapping and clawing to come from the bottom of the ladder and move your way up, those small disciplinary actions, they're paramount," he said.
"You've got to grab every single one per cent opportunity that's in front of you because you're not there as a list yet. So there's no margin for error with discipline."
Impact on performance
McQualter acknowledged that the seven additional free kicks compared to Richmond hurt the team in the upset loss. "It hurt us, in the last quarter (they kicked) two goals from 50s and 23 free kicks against is a pretty high number," he said.
"There were a lot of free kicks paid; we gave away a large amount. It certainly hurts our pressure game, it hurts your ability to win the contest, so it's a work on for us."
