West Coast Eagles Co-Captain Liam Baker Slams Team's 'Pathetic' Performance in Heavy Loss to Sydney
West Coast Eagles co-captain Liam Baker has described his team's performance against the Sydney Swans as pathetic, placing significant blame on the club's on-field leaders for the embarrassing defeat. The Eagles suffered a devastating 128-point loss to Sydney in Perth on Saturday night, marking the fifth largest defeat in the club's history.
Shocking Setback After Recent Comeback Wins
This result came as a major shock, especially given West Coast had entered the match following inspirational comeback victories against North Melbourne and Port Adelaide. The manner in which the Eagles surrendered to Sydney brought back painful memories of their disastrous 2023 campaign, during which they lost five games by more than 100 points.
"It was a tough pill to swallow. Pretty pathetic effort from us, really," Baker stated. "Sydney were sharp from the first bounce, and we couldn't match it, and then it just snowballed from there. They just outworked us and they were stronger and tougher and a better team, and they're one of the benchmarks in the comp, so not good enough from us."
Leadership Group Under Fire for Failing Young Squad
West Coast currently boasts the youngest and least experienced list in the AFL, making them particularly vulnerable. Their situation was exacerbated against Sydney due to the absence of key midfielders Elliot Yeo, who is sidelined with a groin injury, and Deven Robertson, who was suspended. This allowed Sydney to focus heavily on shutting down rising star Harley Reid, limiting him to just 17 disposals and one clearance thanks to Swans tagger James Jordon.
Eagles coach Andrew McQualter emphasized that the team needs to do more to support Reid in breaking such tags. With ten of the youngest players on the field during the match, Baker pointed directly at the leadership group for letting the side down. "It's us leaders, we didn't really stand up," he admitted. "So I feel for those young blokes. There's only so much they can do at times. They've been amazing the last few weeks, and then if that bit of a base around them from the leadership group and some senior players isn't there, then it's tough for them."
Upcoming Challenges and Roster Adjustments
Looking ahead, Yeo's availability for the Gather Round clash with Geelong at Norwood Oval remains uncertain, but Robertson will return from suspension, and Elijah Hewett is a potential inclusion. Additionally, with ruckman Matt Flynn struggling this season, there are increasing calls for the more athletic Bailey Williams to be given an opportunity to replace him in the upcoming fixtures.
