IF MERELY making the finals is the measure of West Coast in 2017, then the Eagles are fortunate that they won’t travel again to their field of bad dreams — the MCG — during the home and away season.

But if contending for the premiership — or, less plausibly, winning one — is the benchmark, then the Eagles should regret that they have another four matches at the hydroponic hunting ground of Etihad Stadium (West Coast is 4-4 there under Adam Simpson) and none where the Melbourne finals are played.

Eagles players, in particular their leaders, should be aware that their allergy to MCG grass has become the source of jokes. The satirist Titus O’Reily ran an online poll on Twitter on Sunday night, asking readers to choose between Meatloaf and the Eagles for “worst ever performer on the MCG”.

Simpson acknowledged the facts of their poor record at the ‘G’, but reiterated that he was concerned about “our resilience, our resolve, our intent’’ rather than the green monster with two wings that — to borrow from an old Collingwood (in September) joke — devours Eagles.

Round 18

One of Simpson’s problems is that it isn’t simply the fringe players — such as the flighty Josh Hill — who’ve done squat at the MCG. Some of their best and brightest stars have failed on the ground, where the Simpson Eagles are 3-6, despite having played only three teams in the top eight, and 5-15 under Simpson and John Worsfold since 2009.

Shannon Hurn of the Eagles looks dejected as he leads his team off. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

Josh Kennedy, probably the club’s most valuable player, has the greatest gap — a veritable Grand Canyon — between his form at Domain Stadium in Perth and the MCG.

Kennedy averages 97.0 Champion Data ranking points at Subiaco since Simpson took over as coach (first season 2014), compared with a dismal 66.6 at the MCG. In four of those games, interestingly, he played on James Frawley and in those last three matches against Hawthorn and Frawley, the Coleman medallist managed 0.0 (2015 Grand Final), 1.1 (Round 2, 2016) and 1.3 (Sunday).

Kennedy did better in an encounter with Frawley when the full-back was a Demon in 2014, booting four goals. But the Eagles did win that game against a hapless, hopeless Melbourne by 93 points.

Judged by numbers, the MCG is Kennedy’s answer to David Warner in India, albeit he has the forward’s alibi — that he relies upon supply.

Kennedy is the worst, statistically (under Simpson), but he has plenty of fellow passengers in blue and gold. Mark LeCras averages nearly 16 fewer Champion Data (CD) points, skipper Shannon Hurn — at the other end, where the ball often is — is -19.4, while the quick-of-hand, slow-of-foot Matt Priddis averages 11.8 fewer points at the wider and more capacious MCG than at his long, narrow Subiaco.

Hill’s output has dropped at the MCG (-10.9) and he isn’t coming off a high base. The coach should leave Hill behind with the dark shorts when they next travel.

Luke Shuey, too, is clearly sub-Subiaco at the MCG (-9.2) and the same applies to Elliott Yeo, Jack Darling (despite four goals on Sunday) and even the absent gun Nic Naitanui. Sharrod Wellingham is only slightly below his modest Perth performances.

Andrew Gaff is the exception — the tireless runner is the only Eagle who’s demonstrably better at the MCG than Subiaco.

West Coast coach Adam Simpson. (AAP Image/Mal Fairclough) Source: AAP

It would be fascinating to know what, if anything, Sam Mitchell has suggested to his new team about playing on the MCG. For the first time, Mitchell was missed more by the Eagles than the Hawks on gloomy Sunday.

One theory, post-Grand Final of 2015, was that the Eagles’ game style was exposed by the width of the MCG, which Hawthorn — in particular — exploited.

Yet, the Eagles appear to have modified their game style over summer, seemingly in the direction of Hawthorn of the past couple of years. West Coast is using many more uncontested possessions — seen in both marks and handballs — than in 2016.

But, simultaneously, their ability to win contests has suffered, where they rank 16th (compared to ninth last year). On Sunday, they were beaten badly in the contest (-22) by a team that had not won the contested ball in the previous 20 matches.

That’s not a great measure of what Simpson called “resolve, or resilience”. The coach probably wouldn’t, but there’s another, well-worn word that describes the effort against the revived Hawks.

Soft.

The Eagles won’t get a chance to redeem themselves on the game’s most hallowed turf, not until the finals at least. But they can harden up everywhere else.

Luke Shuey is one of several West Coast stars that struggle at the MCG. Picture: Michael Klein Source: News Corp Australia

Simpson should show some of his players, not simply the tape of the game, but the individual numbers that measure the gulf between what a player does in Melbourne and Perth, at Domain and the G.

It shouldn’t matter if you’ve won a Brownlow, Coleman or best and fairest. The very best never leave their form at the airport. It comes with them, regardless of venue or scores.

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WEST COAST’S WOES — RANKING POINTS AT THE ‘G (SINCE 2014)

Matt Priddis

Subiaco: 117.0

MCG: 105.2

Difference: -11.8

Nic Naitanui

Subiaco: 103.8

MCG: 94.9

Difference: -8.9

Luke Shuey

Subiaco: 103.8

MCG: 94.6

Difference: -9.2

Josh Kennedy

Subiaco: 97.0

MCG: 66.6

Difference: -30.4

Mark LeCras

Subiaco: 88.4

MCG: 72.5

Difference: -15.9

Shannon Hurn

Subiaco: 86.0

MCG: 66.6

Difference: -19.4

Jack Darling

Subiaco: 79.9

MCG: 69.7

Difference: -10.2

Elliot Yeo

Subiaco: 79.3

MCG: 70.0

Difference: -9.3