1. A big blow struck in the battle for top four
The Eagles entered the round in fifth spot, ahead of the sixth-placed Bulldogs by just 3.3 per cent. This match certainly doesn't rule out the top-four hopes for West Coast but it was a classic eight-point game, with Adam Simpson's men needing to win as many of these tough away games as possible to snare the double chance. That made it especially disappointing to drop this one. A crucial top-two position, which would have allowed the Eagles to make the Grand Final without leaving Perth, is extremely tough to achieve now.
2. Captaincy suits the Bont
Marcus Bontempelli is only 20 but was made acting captain in the absence of Robert Murphy and Easton Wood. It seemed an odd choice as skipper, with Dale Morris having filled in the role against Carlton in round four. Based on Bontempelli's performance though, there's no doubt he was ready for the honour. The brilliant midfielder finished with 30 disposals, with 21 contested possessions. He also showed a willingness to do the one percenters, when he smothered Chris Masten's attempted kick into the forward line with seconds remaining in the first half.
3. McGovern is the glue that completes the Eagles' defence
On paper, West Coast's back six looks strong enough to overcome the loss of one player. Eric Mackenzie was the best and fairest in 2014, while Will Schofield, Shannon Hurn and the improving Brad Sheppard were all excellent defenders last year. Without McGovern helping out, Jack Redpath and Jordan Roughead combined for seven contested marks. That's not meant as a slight on either of those footballers, but the fourth-best defence in the competition should not be conceding so much in the air.
4. The Eagles were smashed at the coalface
A contested ball differential of 38 to the Bulldogs was inexcusable for an Eagles outfit that is supposed to be in premiership contention. Matthew Priddis fulfilled his usual role in the middle with 20 contested possessions but he had very few mates who took it up to the Dogs. Losing that battle allows Luke Beveridge's men to keep hold of the ball, which is critical to their game plan of not letting the opposition score, purely because the other team never has the ball. That damning stat only reinforces the idea that the Eagles do not play as well when they fly interstate.
5. The solution for Jake Stringer's poor form isn't hard to find
Stringer came into the game with just one goal in the past fortnight, a poor return for someone so talented. The advantage of being such a versatile player though is any slumps can be remedied with a move into the middle. Stringer's impact at stoppages was noticeable in the first half especially, moving the ball away from congestion with his ability to muscle away any would-be tacklers. It's not like the Dogs need more help in the contested ball department – they came into the game as the second-best team in the competition for that category. However, it put the ball in Stringer's hands, never a good thing for the opposition, as the Eagles found out when he broke a tackle and booted one from 50m in the first quarter.
