POOR GOALKICKING rather than inferior fitness was behind West Coast's last quarter fade-out against Port Adelaide, coach Adam Simpson says.
The Eagles were overrun in the last quarter on Saturday night, conceding 22 inside 50s to six and three goals to one, however Simpson was ruing missed opportunities in the first half more so than Port Adelaide's powerful running in the final term.
"I don't think it was a matter of they just out-ran us," Simpson said.
"We just didn't make the most of our chances early in the last [quarter]. When the game was up for grabs we just didn't take it.
"A lot of the stats are going to tell us that they did run over the top of us but I just didn't feel like that in the box."
The Eagles were poor in front of goal. Jack Darling and Josh Kennedy were prominent figures all night but the pair kicked 3.8 between them.
"It speaks for itself, doesn't it?” Simpson said.
"More scoring shots [but] you lose the game, no one likes to see that stat.
“Having said that I think Port deserved the win. In the last quarter they found a way and we didn't."
The Eagles kicked poorly in front of goal throughout 2013. In three games last year, including against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium, the Eagles had more scoring shots than their opponents and lost.
However Simpson doesn’t believe it’s a problem that is systemic within the group.
"I wish I could say we [should] do more goalkicking but we do goalkicking every session," Simpson said.
"We didn't take our chances early. I don't think you see ‘JK’ (Kennedy) kick 1.5 very often, it's not a pattern with him.
"But we'll just continue to do what we're doing. We're progressing [and] we've got a bigger picture focus. I saw some really good signs across the board.
"If goalkicking is the last thing we get right then that's the last thing we get right."
