GEELONG premiership coach Mark Thompson says the West Coast Eagles have no defining characteristics that set them apart from their opposition.

The Eagles have been inconsistent away from home, while they’ve lost three out of their past four matches at Subiaco, which had previously been a fortress for the club.

Thompson said the side’s lack of spark reflected what was almost a lack of personality at the club.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with them,” Thompson said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.

Round 18

“I don’t know. It’s almost like they haven’t got a personality.

“They just — what are they, what are they feared for? What are they respected for?”

In 2015, the Eagles were the talk of the competition, with their defensive web allowing them to break down their opposition’s attacks and either win the ball or create a stoppage, with the view to attacking from there.

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But since their game plan was pulled apart by Hawthorn in that year’s grand final, Adam Simpson’s side has failed to reach those heights.

Last year, they won 16 home and away games, including 11 of their 13 home games, which they won by an average margin of 54 points.

But while that statistic saw the Eagles labelled ‘flat-track bullies’, their home form gave them something to consistently rely upon.

But this year, the Eagles have won just five of their eight home matches so far.

Their average home record has contributed to Simpson’s side sitting ninth on the ladder, with eight wins and seven losses to their name, along with a mediocre percentage of 99.90.

Shannon Hurn looks dejected. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

While the defensive trio of Elliot Yeo, Jeremy McGovern and Tom Barrass have impressed with their intercept marking, West Coast has had too few areas stand out this season.

The Eagles sit 14th in the league for contested possessions, 10th for uncontested possessions, 13th for inside-50s and 14th for tackles — failing to stand out in any of those areas.

While the absence of Nic Naitanui has limited the Eagles’ ability to be as aggressive through the midfield as in previous years, Thompson said it had also cost them their point of difference.

The two-time premiership coach said West Coast desperately needed to find a spark — whether that was a player stepping up or Simpson changing tack.

“What is their X-factor? It was Nic Nat,” Thompson said.

“Now it’s not there and somebody else has got to step up.

“Maybe the coach has got to step up and maybe … get a bit of excitement in his life.”

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