1. Is Hurn in hot water?
West Coast skipper Shannon Hurn could be in trouble for a high hit on Mitch Honeychurch late in the third term of Sunday's clash with the Bulldogs. Honeychurch was bending over to pick up a loose ball when Hurn collected him on the head and shoulder. Play was immediately stopped with the slightly built forward stretchered off and sent to hospital for observation. Replays later showed Hurn attempting to halt his momentum before making contact. Match Review Officer Michael Christian might also look at an incident between Jack Macrae and Elliot Yeo, after the Bulldogs midfielder collected Yeo on the chin with a stray forearm. Yeo appeared to finish the game without any discomfort.

EAGLES ROCK Full match coverage and stats


2. Macrae can’t go it alone
Midfield metronome Jack Macrae was slightly off his best, nullified by close-checking Eagle Mark Hutchings. The Bulldogs sorely missed Macrae’s creative short kicking and clean clearance work, but it can’t all be left up to him. Luke Beveridge has plenty of hard-running ball-winners at his disposal, the likes of Lachie Hunter, Luke Dahlhaus and Toby McLean chief among them. However, it’s hard to pinpoint who can be relied upon to hit their target eight times out of ten. Injured superstar Marcus Bontempelli uses the ball as well as anyone, while Macrae is running at 74 per cent efficiency in 2018. However – as was on display against West Coast – the rest have some distance to go before the Bulldogs become a threat again.  


3. You can’t rule out an Eagles flag yet
It’s a question that needs regular revisiting, given the number of ‘crippling’ setbacks West Coast has fended off this season. Doubters emerged when Jack Darling went down, and bobbed up again after Josh Kennedy hurt his knee. Naitanui’s ACL injury could have enormous implications but West Coast might’ve done enough work early in the year to offset his absence. After Sunday’s 54-point win, Adam Simpson’s men sit a game and percentage clear in second place and two games ahead of the fifth-placed Swans. A spot in the top four banks a final at Optus Stadium, be it in week one, two or three. There won’t be too many teams keen on making that trip.      


4. West Coast’s forgotten big man
Scott Lycett might’ve been dubbed West Coast’s rucking heir apparent, but Nathan Vardy’s potential can’t be forgotten either. While Lycett shouldered most of the load at stoppages, Vardy (12 possessions, five marks, 16 hit-outs, one goal) made himself dangerous around the ground and was deft enough to outpoint Bulldogs second-stringer Tom Boyd when called upon. The 27-year-old looked more assured crashing packs and lured his defender away from congestion, clearing yardage for spearheads Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling to lead into. The football community is entitled to hang its head over the loss of Nic Naitanui (ACL), but West Coast fans can count their lucky stars they have a pair of qualified replacements waiting in the wings. 

WATCH Darling does some damage

5. Adam Simpson’s lesser lights are becoming more consistent
A major part of the Eagles’ improvement this year lies in the development of their middle tier. Jack Redden continued his remarkable revival with another 26 possessions, nine marks, five tackles and four clearances. His role in the clinches has eased the responsibility placed on Andrew Gaff and Elliot Yeo, who have been afforded more space to express themselves in 2018. Lewis Jetta (28 possessions, seven marks) is playing the role West Coast envisaged when it lured him from Sydney at the end of 2015, while maligned midfielder Chris Masten (28 possessions, seven marks) is arguably in career-best form.