Former Premiership Eagle has retrospectively questioned the decision to drop key forward Harry Edwards following Jesse Hogan’s 9-goal masterclass over the weekend. 

West Coast named three debutants this weekend, including former Sun and pre-season recruit Sandy Brock, who was given a baptism of fire as the sole key defender in an inexperienced backline. 

The Giants exploited this lack of experience and handed West Coast an 81-point thumping at Engie Stadium, with the reigning Coleman Medallist producing an equal-career best performance at ENGIE Stadium. 

A groin injury to All-Australian Jeremy McGovern forced one of the four changes, but Sumich has queried whether it was necessary to omit Edwards given the task West Coast’s defence had on their hands. 

“I thought it was very ordinary. I’ve got no problems with Brock coming in and playing a role, but to throw him onto (Hogan), I think Harry Edwards should have still stayed in the side,” he told SportFM.

“I’m hearing that he needs to work on a few things. What things does he need to work on? You’ve picked Brock because he needs to work on a few things. What has the club been doing the last two years with Harry Edwards spent to work on things? 

“If Harry Edwards, two or three years in, you’re still having to work on a few things and he gets dropped. I’d be looking at what you’re teaching him. 

“He shouldn’t have been dropped. He’s still got to work on things, but it’s not a stage where he gets dropped.” 

“For Brock to come in and play on a star in Hogan, he’s one of the best forwards going around, if not the best forward. These are the things I think West Coast are just shambles at the moment.”

Captain Toby Greene contributed two goals of his own, while Darcy Jones and Tom Green also kicked two apiece. 

And while Hogan was the most damaging of all the key forwards, the Giants’ other tall forwards in Jake Stringer, Aaron Cadman and Jake Ricciardi only had a further two goals against them. 

However, the land of the Giants ’- like forward line of GWS threatened to cause more damage given the constant supply inside 50. 

Sumich says West Coast just needed to ‘bite the bullet’ at the selection table and go with Edwards. 

“You’ve got a Rhett Bazzo playing reserves. What has hebeen  working on for the last three years? You can’t have all these key backman, and then you don’t pick any of them. You’ve got three talls you’re playing against that week,” he said.

“You just have to bite the bullet and say, look, ‘Harry, you’ve got to play a game, but if you’ve got to start doing this, this and that, if you don’t, I will drop you. But we need you this week because we’re short. McGovern’s out, and I need you to play, but I want you to play this way and work on this.’ 

“He’s got to just play. This is a bizarre non-selection, that one for me, with the three talls of GWS.” 

This weekend, West Coast head to Adelaide, where they come up against Carlton – also in a similar position and sitting 0-4 for the season so far.

New coach Andrew McQualter and an under-pressure Michael Voss will both be looking to come away with the four points and avoid adding another loss to the tally. 

However, with Coleman Medallist duo Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay a chance to reunite this week, Sumich thinks they’ll pose a challenge for West Coast – like Hogan. 

“You look at Curnow, and you think Carlton this week, I think they’ll be hard to beat,” he said.

“If they get enough supply again, Curnow would be licking his lips going, I should be kicking at least five or six.

“If he has a bit of a day out and things work for him, you’re looking at seven upwards, and that’s how he’d be thinking, I reckon.”

IMAGE: West Coast Eagles