The Eagles urge fans to stick with the AFL club

West Coast coach Adam Simpson has urged fans to stay by the club’s troubled years.

The Eagles lost their fifth straight draw after losing 74-points to Melbourne at the Optus Stadium on Sunday.

West Coast averaged 81 points, with Simpson battling to field one side each week due to injury and COVID-19.

Only 26.46 supporters rallied for Sunday’s defeat near Melbourne.

When they moved to Optus Stadium in 2018, the Eagles consistently attracted more than 50,000 people.

The combination of WA’s COVID-19 outbreak and train problems meant Sunday’s crowd was lower than expected.

But the terrible form of the party has played the biggest role in reducing the crowd.

“One thing I do know is that we’ve had some really good times as a football club and we’re coming out of a really good era,” Simpson said.

“I really hope our fans will be by our side in challenging times. We really appreciate their support. I know it has been disappointing so far this year, but we like their support, we appreciate the crowd. “

The Eagles will be encouraged by the return of captain Luke Shui for Sunday’s clash with the GWS.

Shannon Horn, Josh Kennedy and Andrew Gaff may also return, but Elliott Yeok (Connection / Protocol) will be given a time at WAFL to build fitness and form.

Star goalkeepers Liam Ryan (hamstring) and Luke Foley (Kanshan) will miss at least a week.

The Eagles missed 11 of their top 22 players against Melbourne and saw some positive aspects to Simpson’s defeat.

“We definitely want some youngsters to play, get into the draft, and look for a new identity as a club in terms of the way we want to play,” Simpson said.

“All of these things make it challenging when your best team isn’t on track.

“We want to be better, we want to score more, we want to supply and we want a style of play that stands out.

“It simply came to our notice then.

“We’re trying to be as positive and realistic as possible.”

© AAP