A great natural phenomenon occurred at 11.30am on Thursday and the best vantage point in the world to see it was Exmouth, the idyllic coastal town in our north-west.

A total eclipse of the sun, when the moon’s shadow blocks it out for a minute or so, is a rare solar event. After much fanfare, live crosses to news rooms around Australia life returned to normal in a matter of minutes as natural light resumed.

So it was at West Coast Eagles headquarters this week. For a moment or two the sun was dulled as the fallout from the weekend was assessed.

Losses to the reigning premiers at both AFL and WAFL level compounded by further casualties. It has been a tough few weeks since the days leading into the RAC Derby against Fremantle when just four players were in the rehabilitation group.

Seven forced changes from that game leading into the match against Melbourne. A few more going into last week’s challenge against Geelong and even more for this weekend.

Again this game provides a reminder of how tough it is to compete week to week. While the light dimmed as the wounded troops were analysed the task is to assess the damage, ascertain player availability and get on with the next opportunity.

There’s no time to dwell on it, there’s the significant task of tackling Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval today.

The Eagles have been in this position before. We need only cast back to last year when the pandemic and an injury epidemic ran parallel, and that experience has helped the club muster its forces to get on with it.

Unfortunately, the knock-on effect of a high mortality rate on the senior list is that the WAFL Eagles have been undermanned. In the pre-season, with high availability, the Eagles won all three practice matches.

Last Saturday against West Perth with only half a dozen youngsters taking the field, they were out-classed in a 169-point thumping.

There were some mitigating circumstances involved in such a heavy defeat; young midfielder Elijah Hewett slipped on a muddy patch of turf in the centre square at the first bounce, left the field nursing an ankle injury and never returned.

Harry Creasey, who was the team’s best and fairest last year, contested a mark minutes later, landed awkwardly and was assisted from the field. He, too, threw on the tracksuit top and sat out the remainder on the bench.

That left the Eagles playing 20 against 22 for the next two hours; not just any 22 either the opposition won last year’s premiership and will likely have a big say in who wins the 2023 flag.

West Perth is a mature outfit and the Eagles were already punching above their weight before losing two important players. The most experienced of the AFL-listed players was Zane Trew. In his third season on the list he has played 21 WAFL games and two AFL matches.

Alongside him were second year defender Rhett Bazzo, draftees Coby Burgiel and Harry Barnett as well as next generation academy rookie Tyrell Dewar.

Aside from Jackson Nelson and Alec Waterman who have been recruited to play this season the remainder have been selected from country competitions and the Perth Football League (amateurs). It moved premiership defender Will Schofield to step forward and come out of retirement to play against East Fremantle tomorrow.

In the last couple of years this team has been remarkably stoic and resilient in the face of overwhelming odds. When they have decent AFL representation around them they are more than competitive.

This group is united. They will relish the moment when they get the opportunity to shine.

It will turn.