WEST Coast coach Andrew McQualter concedes the Eagles need to learn how to win after failing to capitalise on a dominant but ultimately wasteful performance against North Melbourne on Sunday.
The Eagles led by 18 points early in the final quarter but were overrun after the Kangaroos knuckled down in the midfield and went on a three-goal run to steal the game at Bunbury's Hands Oval.
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McQualter said his team "didn't handle the heat" in the final term and made too many errors, with their inability to capitalise on scoring opportunities also telling after kicking one goal from 39 inside 50s in the first half.
"We're going through this little period at the moment where we’re clearly playing better football, but we need to learn how to win," McQualter said on Sunday.
"That's really in our whole football club at the moment, because we want to be in those positions more but we want to be able to handle that point of the game better.
"That's from coaching staff, players, all of us together. We need to be able to put those games away.
"For three quarters I thought we were a dominant football team … (but) when you're dominating territory, you need to be able to punish teams on the scoreboard and we weren't able to do that today."
West Coast's 63 inside 50s was the club's highest tally since 2021, but the finally tally of 6.16 represented a paltry scoring accuracy of just 24 per cent,
The club has lost tight games to Essendon and Richmond this season while also trailing Geelong by just six points early in the final quarter last week before the Cats went on a seven-goals-to-one run.
McQualter said there was a lot to like about Sunday's performance, including the significant inside 50 advantage (63-41), but the team would also review how it performed when the game was on the line late.
"When you're in that position at three-quarter time, you need to go at the game and keep attacking the game. I felt like we went safe," the coach said.
"We need to be able to lean into those moments and you need to look forward to those moments as a player, rather than trying to save the game.
"Our players want to win, but we've just got to teach them how … we'll use those moments in the last quarter as education points and ensure that we just have to get better."
McQualter said young star Elijah Hewett was OK after copping a knock to his foot and had been fine to continue playing, with the midfielder among the Eagles' best performers with 22 disposals and six clearances.
For North Melbourne, Sunday's win was a "special" result, coach Alastair Clarkson said, after selling two home games a season to Western Australia for the next three years.
The coach said North's leaders had stood up, with captain Jy Simpkin excellent in the final quarter alongside ruck Tristan Xerri and young star Harry Sheezel, who had 12 of his 28 disposals in the final quarter.
"We played a game against Collingwood a fortnight ago and it was their leaders that stood up in the last quarter. We’re pleased it was our turn for our leaders to step up," Clarkson said.
"Big X (Xerri) in the ruck was superb. Luke Parker, Jy Simpkin and Harry Sheezel were pivotal for us getting scoreboard ascendancy and keeping the game in our half, which we were unable to do for three quarters.
"We were staring down the barrel of defeat, so to win from that position is a real credit."
Clarkson said the Kangaroos played nowhere near their best for three quarters but made some tweaks in the last term and told the players to hang in there, ultimately kicking the final three goals of the game to secure a win.
The coach said important defender Charlie Comben would require scans for an injury in his upper back/shoulder after copping a knee to the area in a marking contest.
"He's had shoulder problems before but this is more his upper back. We're not sure if it's bruised or other damage, but he didn’t return to full function after being assessed.
"At that stage, you’re nearly ready to use your sub anyway. We hope for the best that his scan comes back with no significant damage.
