THE STARTING point for West Coast to turn in a competitive performance against St Kilda on Sunday is rectifying the glaring lack of pressure that underpinned a 171-point loss to Sydney in round 15.
The Eagles have spoken this week about the brutal nature of their game review, and it is fair to assume that missed tackles, unconvincing chases and a breakdown in defensive structures would have featured prominently.
Champion Data stats expose the full extent of the Eagles' pressure failings against the Swans, but also map a path forward for the team in one area of their game that can be addressed quickly.
The pressure rating stat is used by clubs as a key indicator of performance and measures the pressure points accrued by a team through acts like chasing, corralling and tackling for every 100 chances they have to apply pressure.
West Coast's team pressure rating at the SCG was 168, which ranked 227 of 252 games this year and a clear last for the round.
The Eagles were out pressured 189-168 by the Swans, with the differential of -21 representing the fourth worst of any side this year.
Champion Data differentiates between pre-clearances pressure and post-clearances, with the performances of Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo and Tim Kelly contributing to a competitive pre-clearance rating.
Once the ball left the stoppage, however, the Eagles fell away and had a rating of just 146 – well below the AFL average of 163.
While the since-injured Yeo (80.8), captain Shuey (64.2) and Kelly (67.8), who would be close to leading the Eagles' best and fairest, finished with excellent individual pressure ratings, several senior Eagles let themselves down.
Midfielder Dom Sheed (25.1), key forward Jack Darling (8.3), defender Alex Witherden (15.3) and Samo Petrevski-Seton (20.9), who played through an early quad injury, were among those down on their season averages.
The ball movement stats were particularly shocking for the Eagles, who tried several different things to try and limit the scoreboard damage unsuccessfully.
They allowed the Swans to generate an inside 50 from 59 per cent of their defensive half chains – more than double the AFL average of 28 per cent and representing the worst performance in that indicator since round three last season.
When going inside 50, the Swans were allowed to take 29 marks, which was the equal second-most of any side since 2017 (the Eagles also conceded 29 marks inside 50 to Carlton in round seven).
Meanwhile, the Eagles conceded a goal from over 40 per cent of their opposition's inside 50s. No other team has allowed that rate of scoring this year, but it is the third time the Eagles have in 2023.
The Eagles have no plans to alter their playing style this week, choosing instead to forge forward with the gameplan they believe will deliver long-term.
Changing their pressure output shapes as a non-negotiable, however, if they are going to be competitive against the Saints.
