Eagles coach John Worsfold identified it as THE problem straight after the game against the Hawks.
He said that normally the team would try to win the inside 50s but right now he'd be happy to match the opposition in that area.
That would feed the forwards and stop the defenders from being overwhelmed.
After two rounds West Coast averages just 37.5 inside 50s a game – only three more on average than Melbourne over two rounds – yet has managed a score per inside 50 rate of 64 per cent.
Most clubs are comfortable with a score per inside 50 ratio of anywhere above 50 per cent, which gives some indication of why the lack of inside 50s is frustrating the Eagles.
After round one it was possible to put the decrease down to the Ross Lyon factor. Up until Sunday three of the five times that the Eagles have registered fewer than 40 inside 50s since 2010 were against Lyon-coached teams.
But the repeat performance against Hawthorn, when the Eagles recorded just 38 inside 50s made the issue one that needed addressing quickly.
The obvious reason is the absence of Nic Naitanui, and to a lesser extent Daniel Kerr and Matt Rosa, from the midfield mix.
Naitanui was second in hit-outs to advantage last season and his brilliant leap gives his teammates first use of the ball.
Ruckman Dean Cox did not shy away from that fact either when asked about the early season absence of inside 50s.
"One of Nic's strengths is his ability to get the ball cleanly to a player all over the centre circle," Cox told AFL.com.au. "That is an area we obviously need to address while he is not there."
Cox has battled hard in Naitanui's absence but acknowledges that sharing ruck and forward duties 50/50 with Naitanui gave the team a great advantage.
Having said that the obvious reason is not THE reason.
As Cox pointed out the centre clearance numbers have been reasonable in the first two rounds. Against Fremantle, the third quarter was costly and the Eagles beat the Hawks in centre clearances on Sunday.
When it does get the ball out of the centre the opposition's drop off player is chopping them off across half-back and then rebounding the ball through the middle too easily.
This suggests too few midfielders are working both forward and back and the half-forwards are not working up to support their teammates.
They are not intercepting the opposition high enough up the ground. Perhaps that explains why the Eagles picked up just 305 disposals against the Hawks and 289 disposals against Fremantle.
Cox said the team was not, in his words, "generating enough footy".
The team's transition from defence to attack is also being interrupted too easily.
The Eagles have generated an inside 50 from just 5.9 per cent of defensive 50 chains in 2013 – the lowest in the competition and well below the AFL average of 22.3 per cent.
Even Greater Western Sydney generated an inside 50 from 11.5 per cent of defensive 50 chains on average during 2012.
The Eagles' forays forward are not deep or accurate enough. That suggests their ball movement is becoming an issue again.
"I think it is an accumulation of everything," Cox said. "[It's a] matter of making sure that we do get the most out of [clearances and] that we're not kicking to one of their drop off players and we can work an avenue to goal."
With Kerr a chance to return this week and Melbourne on the menu the Eagles have the opportunity to get their system back in order and begin its climb back to the upper reaches of the ladder.
Stats supplied by Champion Data
