WEST Coast's injury crisis has deepened after a 70-point loss to Gold Coast, with premiership forward Jack Darling set to undergo scans on an arm injury that eventually sidelined him on Friday night.
Darling suffered what appeared to be a painful injury to his left forearm in the third quarter and received treatment on the sidelines before returning to the field. But he was clearly hampered and was removed late in the final term.
EAGLES v SUNS Full match coverage and stats
He joined Jamaine Jones on the sidelines after the versatile speedster's night was ended in the second quarter by a broken nose, with the Eagles left to count the physical toll of a dispiriting loss.
"We'll get an X-ray and see how it is," coach Adam Simpson said of Darling as the Eagles returned to the bottom of the ladder after another percentage hit.
"He didn't want to come off. I know he cops a lot, and sometimes when you're out of form that's what it is. But he loves this club, and he loves his teammates … he wants to help."
Simpson conceded the Eagles had been "blown away" in what was an uncompetitive second quarter, losing the contested ball (43-16), clearances (14-3) and inside 50s (17-5) as the Suns kicked eight straight goals to build a 50-point half-time lead.
"It was a really disappointing second quarter, which is a trend that we can't seem to stop," the coach said.
"It's hard to point the finger at our forwards, because the ball wasn't in there, and our backs … we got overwhelmed with it.
"They're a good midfield and they taught us a lesson in the second quarter … we knew what was coming and we couldn't stop it."
Simpson said he wasn't sure if the weight of a difficult season was starting to burden his players, but there was little choice but to be resilient and perform as fan frustration grows with the team's performances. "I know there's some disappointed members out there, and I get that. Asking for patience, they can demand as much as they like, they pay the memberships," the coach said.
"But we're trying. While we're going through this, it's going to be a challenge. It's no quick fix."
Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew paid tribute to midfield star Matt Rowell's "unbelievable" performance after the clearance gun helped rip the game away from West Coast in the second quarter.
Rowell was best afield with 29 disposals (13 contested), six clearances, eight inside 50s and a massive 17 tackles, also kicking an excellent stoppage goal and finishing with a team-high 610m gained.
"He was unbelievable tonight … he's just fierce and he really used his speed and his strength to get out of stoppage," Dew said.
"Statistically it was a fantastic game, but visually even better. What a competitor, he just thrives on AFL footy. I've never seen someone love their footy as much as 'Rowelly' and there's something pure about it. It makes you smile."
Dew said the Suns had proven they didn't need one player to step up and replace injured midfielder Touk Miller, with the group capable of sharing the load.
The coach was thrilled with the performances of defender Charlie Ballard, who took an equal AFL record 10 intercept marks, and prized draftee Bailey Humphrey, who competed relentlessly for 20 disposals and a goal.
"He can play any position and doesn't over-analyse, he just gets after it, so it is pleasing," the coach said of Humphrey, who was recruited with pick No.6 in last year's AFL Draft.
"We've been trying to build a list that can withstand injuries, and everyone hurts. Clearly West Coast footy club are in a really difficult space and they're doing everything they can.
"Our boys are sore tonight, so they played hard and under obviously difficult circumstances in terms of selection."
