What has happened to the defensive method?

A TYPICAL passage of play in Sydney's mauling of West Coast on Sunday started with Swans defender Harry Cunningham intercepting Jack Darling's long kick inside 50 halfway through the second quarter.

It set up a chain of possession that picked apart the Eagles' defensive structure, with the Swans marching forward with nine kicks, five handballs, and seven marks (mostly uncontested) before the ball was finally in dispute again.

When the ball did come to ground, there were four Swans at the drop of the ball to two Eagles, with a chain of handballs resulting in Will Hayward running into an open goalsquare for a simple goal.

The Eagles' defensive method is not working against top eight teams this season. Opponents may have worked out ways to break it down, or a lack of workrate could be making it impossible to execute. There is probably a bit of both contributing.

But the Eagles need to be more accountable when they don't have the ball, because a lack of pressure on the Swans saw them pick their way through the middle of the ground repeatedly on Sunday.

West Coast ranks 18th in the League for pressure and No.15 for tackling differential, losing the tackle count against the Swans (-4) despite conceding 83 more disposals to their opponents.

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In the Eagles' past 10 games, going back to their 97-point loss to Geelong in round six, they have lost both the tackle count and overall disposals seven times. Broken tackles and efforts to corral rather than attack the ball-carrier have been a feature. 

Do the Eagles work hard enough with the ball?

In comparison to the Swans' clinical ball-movement on Sunday, the Eagles were bereft of options coming out of defence and reverted to long kicks down the line far too often.

Players would mark in a position to set in motion the previously successful kick-mark game plan but look up the ground and appear frustrated by the lack of options.

It was West Coast's defenders doing all the bombing, with 11 of their 16 long kicks in the first quarter coming from the backmen. This became 16 of 26 from the defenders at half time.

It appeared the Eagles did not work hard enough for each other when teammates were in possession and their game plan fell apart as a result.

Ranked No.1 in the AFL for overall marks, they lost the stat 28-46 in the first half, with their short kicking out the window (22-54).

Coach Adam Simpson conceded after the game that workrate was an issue, but also said the Eagles would need to look at their method without making a dramatic change to their style. 

A lack of dash out of defence and ability to get the ball in motion quicker is a weakness that could be addressed.

Can the season be salvaged?

As dire as the situation appeared on Sunday, the Eagles now have four games in a row against teams outside the top eight and are capable of getting on a roll to cement a top eight spot.

Win all four and they'll be on 12 wins with three matches to play, against Melbourne, Fremantle and Brisbane.

But the damage done to their percentage in two losses totalling 147 points in the past fortnight – and the 97-point loss to Geelong – looks irreparable, meaning the top four is now out of reach.

During a six-season run of consecutive finals appearances, the Eagles have made two Grand Finals for one premiership, finishing second at the end of the home and away season on both occasions.

When they have missed top four and the double chance, they have won two of six finals, failing to make it past the semi-final stage. 

History – and current form – is against the Eagles turning 2021 into a successful campaign.

What does the future hold?

Adam Simpson acknowledged on the eve of the season that investing in the NAB AFL Draft was something the Eagles would need to do eventually.

The club won't have a choice this season, with their first-round selection 'locked' after three seasons without a first-round pick. 

"Whether that means you have to drop down on the ladder, I do personally think you need to invest in the draft and kids at some stage," Simpson said in March. "If you draft well, you might not dip as far."

The question for West Coast now is can it renovate a talented but ageing list with youth on the run and remain a finals contender, or is a more aggressive turnover required as several club champions come towards the end of their careers?

It's a big decision for the list management team, and having clarity on where they sit in their list build will be crucial by the end of this season so they can attack the NAB AFL Trade Period accordingly.

Should Adam Simpson be under pressure?

No is the short answer, despite the obvious frustration of West Coast supporters, who don't tolerate losses like Sunday's, let alone two horrible performances in two weeks.

Simpson coached the Eagles to a Grand Final in his second season, a premiership two-and-a-half seasons ago, and the club hasn't missed finals since his first season in charge in 2014. 

The coach, who has a winning percentage of 64.7 per cent, signed an extension earlier this season until the end 2024 and should be the man to steer any short-term transition of this list.

Where Simpson will be under pressure in the short-term is to rectify the game style issues he identified after Sunday's loss to Sydney and inspire his team to work harder than it has in the past fortnight.