If tall defenders are West Coast’s Achilles’ heel, Marvel Stadium is its underworld.

While the Eagles have copped some hidings from hell across most venues since the midway point of 2021, Marvel has been a particularly unwelcome destination.

Sunday’s 32-point defeat by Melbourne at Docklands might not have turned into the disaster it looked head for in the first half, it still marked a 16th loss from their past 18 matches at Docklands.

The fact it was just shy of three goals short of the Eagles average losing margin of 48 points at the venue in that time frame will mean little to coach Andrew McQualter.

He was up against it from early in the piece.

Key position defenders are at a premium across the competition – and in this year’s draft pool – and the area of most desperate need for the rebuilding Eagles.

So heading into Sunday’s clash with Melbourne, the addition of 200cm Harry Edwards from concussion protocols after a cautious return through the WAFL, would have been manna from structural heaven for McQualter.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, and the cursed Edwards, he did not last a quarter, wearing the full impact of a friendly fire elbow to the forehead and subsequently failing head assessment injury protocols.

He did not last until quarter time, marking his third concussion this year, and the set-back will cast his short-term future in doubt, if not his longer term outlook.

McQualter has held firm in playing the immensely talented Jobe Shanahan as a key forward as that is undoubtedly where his long-term future exists.

Shake a talent tree and it’s rare a natural key forward falls out and with the greatest respect to backmen, they are scattered dime a dozen beneath the canopy.

Edwards’ unavailability might mean McQualter has no choice but to turn Shanahan’s regular forays behind the ball into a full-time role for the remainder of this season.

He does have Jack Williams as a forward line option, but could he also be a back half solution? Rhett Bazzo and Sandy Brock are other options.

The Eagles’ had little wins against the Demons, but didn’t get the small stuff right – more of that later.

Kysaiah Pickett, the No.1 ranked player in the competition over the previous six rounds, was subdued by a close checking Brady Hough, and forced to get 67 per cent of his 14 possessions in the back half.

Hough has had a few rebirths as an AFL player: From defender into midfielder and back again.

Hough’s success in transforming a superpower into a mere mortal has at least provided McQualter with enough evidence to suggest the 191cm Eagle can become a run-with go-to in the second half of the season.

The other ticks?

Milan Murdoch reaffirmed he belongs at AFL level as a high half forward-cum midfielder, Tom McCarthy worked hard for 30 possessions but is better than a 70 per cent efficiency player, Willem Duursma Yeo busted a gut for no reward Jake , Waterman kicked three (and could have had a handful).

The Eagles will also have embraced Jack Hutchinson’s first game back from injury, highlighted by a goal from a courageous mark running into danger in the fourth quarter that sparked a mini-comeback.

But it was again the small things that the Eagles did not get right often enough.

Example A. Elliot Yeo marks at half forward and kicks over the top of a leading Jake Waterman.

Example B. Harley Reid mark and handballs impetuously, turning it over, with the ball pumped into Melbourne’s forward 50 before the Eagles defence could set up behind play.

And there were numerous examples from their teammates.

The Demons did the damage largely from defensive chains, scoring 5.2 from that source, which remains an area of concern for the Eagles, who halved clearance and won the battle at centre ball ups, where Bailey Williams gave an honest account against Max Gawn and Max Heath, the former one of the all-time greats, the latter a promising talent.

Melbourne’s first four goals of the third term – after the Eagles had clawed their way back to a competitive deficit – were all scored from turnover.

Jacob van Rooyen was the beneficiary with five goals in the presence of miserly West Coast defender Reuben Ginbey.