West Coast’s stop-start season continued on Saturday, conceding the first eight goals in their 45-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG.
The Eagles were dismal in Shannon Hurn’s 300th game, laying just 32 tackles and allowing the Magpies to take 167 marks – the ninth most ever recorded in AFL history.
“They missed tackle after tackle, they only laid 32 for the game,” Kane Cornes told AFL Media’s The Round So Far.
“It was a pathetic performance – and they’ve had some real pathetic performances this year.
“They lost to Geelong early on (by 97 points), they lost to Sydney (by 92) – this was probably the worst of the lot when you factor in what they were playing for.”
Despite trailing by 50 points at the main break, Eagles coach Adam Simpson didn’t appear concerned by his side’s first-half performance.
West Coast kicked just one goal to half-time, while the rampant Magpies piled on 10.
“The contest stuff is pretty breakeven, they’re using the ball way better than we are, they’re kicking straighter,” Simpson told Fox Footy.
“We probably don’t think it’s a 10-goal game, but we’ve got to play a hell of a lot better.
“They’re really getting us on the counter-attack off turnover. We’re not working together in defence, so that’s a big focus of ours this quarter.”
With games against Melbourne, Fremantle and Brisbane to come, the seventh-placed Eagles (10-9) are in danger of missing the finals.