Amid the many damning statistics and so few little wins, West Coast showed enough steel in their spine to encourage coach Adam Simpson.
It probably would have taken more than absentees Harley Reid and Tom Barrass to save the Eagles, who were blitzed in the third term on Sunday in their AFL match against Gold Coast at Carrara.
Thanks largely to Suns co-captain Jarrod Witts, the home side dominated the ruck hitouts 63-18 and the centre clearances 19-7.
The Suns also comfortably won contested possessions 148-112 and had 67 inside 50s to 35.
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But after trailling by 34 points at three-quarter time, West Coast were only three goals adrift with five minutes left, before losing by 37.
“Just that 15-20 minutes of resilience was all I needed to see to suggest they have some spirit there,” Simpson said of their last-quarter rally.
“But we have a heap of work – around the contest was not up to scratch.
