Eagles look to Freo for inspiration
Wooden spoon favourites West Coast have lost their belief and are using Fremantle as a source of inspiration to save their doomed AFL season, according to Eagles veteran Andrew Embley.
The Eagles have won just three matches this year and are now a game adrift of 15th-placed Richmond, who upset Sydney on the weekend.
Embley will chalk up his 200th game in Saturday's clash with Adelaide at Subiaco Oval but admits the milestone is hardly a cause for celebration given the club's current plight.
"No this weekend is not about milestones, it's not about individual payers," Embley said on Monday.
"We need to show a bit of character.
"Coming off a loss like that (to Collingwood), a lot of people will be looking to see how this group responds.
"I do think we have character in this group and this weekend is a great opportunity to show that."
Embley said Fremantle, who sit two games clear inside the top four after managing just six wins last year, proved how quickly a team could turn its fortunes around.
"It's not a great environment to be in when you're not winning," he said.
"But you just look at the Fremantle Dockers.
"This time last year they were sitting close to the bottom of the ladder and they've been able to turn it around really quickly.
"I think that can happen to us.
"The belief at the moment is probably a little bit dented, but at the end of the day belief comes from actually winning games of football so when we start winning games of footy we'll start getting some confidence and hopefully that belief will come back to the group."
Embley said the player group had let down coach John Worsfold, whose position has come under increasing scrutiny following three years of barren results.
"Yeah this group at the moment is not doing him any favours but we are trying to stay as focused as we can, we can't worry about what's happening outside," Embley said.
"We're a really tight-knit group and I can assure the supporters we are working hard behind closed doors."
Embley's form has been up and down this season but the 29-year-old is adamant he can recapture the form that won him the Norm Smith Medal in West Coast's 2006 premiership triumph.
"Physically I'm good, mentally I'm good so hopefully I'll be able to turn it around soon," said Embley, who is contracted until the end of 2011.
"If I thought I couldn't improve then it would probably be time for me to walk away.
"Hopefully it will turn around for me and the side quickly.
"No chance of giving it up, not yet.
"I take full responsibility (for the team's poor form) as a senior player.
"The footy I'm playing at the moment I'm not happy with.
"The motivation's there. It's just about trying to believe in what you can do and what this team can do."
Meanwhile, West Coast were dealt another blow on Monday when midfielder Bradd Dalziell was ruled out for 6-8 weeks with a finger tendon injury that requires surgery.
Dalziell, recruited to the Eagles from Brisbane at the end of last year, has averaged 21 disposals over eight games this season.
The 23-year-old joins skipper Darren Glass, Daniel Kerr, Sam Butler, Shannon Hurn, Luke Shuey, Ashley Hansen and Mark Nicoski on the sidelines.
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