WEST Coast slumped to a joint club record eighth consecutive loss, but coach Adam Simpson scoffed at any discussion of unwanted history which he says isn't "particularly concerning" him right now.
The Eagles were beaten by 31 points by Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon, leaving the club last with a 1-11 record after eight straight defeats.
West Coast did avoid one ugly record, with the margin ensuring it didn't become the first side in AFL/VFL history to suffer eight consecutive defeats by 50 points or more.
The eight-game losing run, however, marks one of the lowest ebbs in Eagles history, with the side's percentage at 50.7. The eight defeats have come with an average losing margin of 73.6 points, including two 100-plus-point thrashings at home.
"You don't want that," Simpson said about the club record for consecutive losses.
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"It's where it is at the moment. We need to own it. We're not making excuses. It's really disappointing. It's not particularly concerning me right now.
"There's little things we need to do to get that right, that's where we're at."
West Coast did show more fight against the 14th-placed Crows after trailing by 31 points at quarter-time, rallying within 21 points after four consecutive goals either side of the final change.
However, Simpson lamented the slow start with Adelaide kicking the first five goals of the game and the visitors not registering their first major until the second quarter.
West Coast had only won one quarter in its past six matches and seven quarters for the entire season, yet got the edge on the Crows in both the third and fourth terms, representing a small win.
"I'm trying to be balanced with this," Simpson said. "We had some small wins today but we're still a long way off.
"We've got to keep looking for that growth, keep looking for players to improve and keep working on our game sense, in particular starts.
"You can't separate it back because the start is the start. We got done for workrate and a little bit of game sense. That's been a big part of our issue and the contest early on.
"After quarter-time I thought the game was probably even for the rest of the day. For that, we'll take positives. The start, the ability to concede field position again, we've got to get better."
Simpson said Jeremy McGovern, who was a late withdrawal due to a back issue, would be available for the round 14 game against Geelong after the bye.
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He also hoped Willie Rioli, Liam Ryan, Jack Petruccelle, Elliot Yeo and Dom Sheed (the latter two who played in the WAFL on Saturday) would also return from injuries after the bye.
Simpson also indicated NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft No.1 pick Jai Culley may come into consideration for selection later in the season, having linked up with the squad in Adelaide following his selection on Wednesday.
"He trained with the guys yesterday and he'll slot in with our midfield group," he said. "He'll play WAFL and he might get some exposure in the back half of the year."
Meanwhile, Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks praised veteran forward Taylor Walker after his crucial three-goal display that comes amid discussion around his contract status for next year.
The 32-year-old forward's current deal expires at the end of this season and he has reportedly drawn interest from elsewhere, although he indicated this week he wants to remain in Adelaide.
"I thought he was really strong, especially in that first half when he was so influential on the game," Nicks said about Walker, who had a game-high 10 score involvements with 22 disposals and eight marks.
"He's that pillar ahead of the ball for us. He's really finding his groove. It's quite exciting for us."
On his contract situation, Nicks added: "I've said it so many times, in fact I said it 12 months ago to the day, we were in the same position, the club are working through it with Tex on what that looks like going forward."
Nicks reiterated he was positive about the Crows snapping their five-game losing run but conceded their fade after quarter-time against a struggling side left a sour taste.
The Adelaide coach pinpointed a drop-off around the contest after the first break. West Coast edged tackles in the latter three quarters 60-52 while contested possessions, which Adelaide had led 64-51 at quarter-time, ended 153-127.
"We won't have to look hard. We know what it is. It's contested ball and tackle," he said.
"We got out-tackled, beaten to the hard ball. But when we got that right, the game was on our terms. We'll take the four points."
