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Steve Larkin

'Keen to atone': Eagles coach seeks on-field response

West Coast coach Andrew McQualter is keeping his club's latest massive defeat in perspective. (AAP PHOTOS)

West Coast coach Andrew McQualter isn't over-reacting to a horror show which threatened to drag his Eagles back to the dark days.

Instead, McQualter is challenging his players to seek atonement for last week's 128-point capitulation to Sydney.

"It was an incredibly disappointing performance," McQualter told reporters on Friday.

West Coast
Dejected Eagles players leave the field after copping a 128-point drubbing from Sydney. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)

"But this is what AFL footy is about: you get another opportunity.

"And our guys are really keen to atone for that performance last week."

McQualter said the heavy defeat was been kept in perspective: his side has two wins and two losses ahead of Sunday's clash against Geelong at Norwood Oval in Adelaide.

"We're two and two ... so we have done some good stuff in our game this season," he said.

"We're really just going to focus on our work rate and our contest, that was what dropped away the most against the Swans and it's something we had done pretty well prior to that game.

West Coast coach Andrew McQualter speaks at Norwood Oval ahead of the Geelong clash. (Steve Larkin/AAP VIDEO)

"So we're going to get back to that. We've got some evidence that it has worked well for us and that will be our focus this week."

McQualter was also drilling into reasons for West Coast's sluggish starts in all four games this season.

"We're certainly spending a bit of time on it, it has been a challenge for us," he said.

"But there's a lot of different things you put into it, whether it's your meetings, pre-game.

Davis
Young Eagle Hamish Davis during the loss to the Swans. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)

"Our leaders are taking charge of that and hopefully we see a spike in our first quarters."

The Eagles haven't won a first quarter and, cumulatively, have been outscored by a whopping 117 points by opponents.

"We have done lots of different things over the last few weeks ... we're working our way through it and hopefully for better outcomes," McQualter said.

"It's not an effort thing ... some of the quarters haven't been as bad as the scoreboard suggested as well.

"But we certainly don't want to be giving teams a five or six goal head start every week."

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