the wild west

HAS football in Western Australia ever been at a lower ebb than this morning? And have two top-four teams ever turned to rabble as quickly as have West Coast and Fremantle? Surely not.

It's only one-and-a-half years or so, after all, that the Eagles were hoisting a second premiership cup, a week after their crosstown rival had been stopped only a game short of a grand final appearance.

Have a look at the current ladder. Fremantle, 1-9 and only percentage away from bottom spot. West Coast a miserable 13th, a game-and-a-half behind 12th and fresh off a 100-point rout.

And what's worse for Sandgropers with any semblance of footballing pride is the complete lack of steel resonating through the pitiful performances of both this past weekend.

On Saturday, West Coast was coming off a big win over a top-eight side, Adelaide, and had two key senior players in Daniel Kerr and Beau Waters returning to the line-up. That made it 13 of 22 who ran out against Collingwood who had stood on the premiership dais on the same ground the September before last.

This made the second-half capitulation against the Magpies even more inexplicable. Only three goals to 15. In fact, take out West Coast's 15 minutes or so of decent football in the second term, in which it kicked five of its 10 goals for the afternoon, and the rest was little short of a disgrace.

Coach John Worsfold again pushed the inconsistency-of-youth line after the match. Sounds good, "Woosha", but there's just one problem. Your team isn't all that young or raw. And it was two of the greenest members of it, key forward Josh Kennedy and key defender Beau Wilkes, who on Saturday showed more steel and backbone than nearly all their teammates.

As for Fremantle, well, even as pure comic farce, the Dockers' routine would be getting a little tedious. As an allegedly professional AFL team, it, too, is a disgrace. Five losses in a row after having led each at three-quarter-time.

Yesterday's at home, in front of supporters desperate to see some sign of resilience, against a Port Adelaide side whose tendency to choke was beginning to rival its own.

Yet even that scenario couldn't inspire the Dockers rabble to gird its loins and actually emerge with some honour and the match points.

Coach Mark Harvey has his own problems to deal with, but anyone who remembers Harvey the player would have to sympathise with him right now. Such spineless hoisting of the white flag come crunch time must be making him feel physically ill.

His club remains a standing joke, one which in its 14th season in AFL company still cannot find the requisite spirit and pride to avoid the contempt of its peers for longer than five minutes.

And when Freo continues to serve up the same heartless rubbish week after week, year after year, why would they do anything else?