One down, 22 to go.

The first eight games of the 2021 AFL season didn't just provide us with our initial set of winners and losers, it raised another series of questions.

With each of the league's 18ย clubsย set to do battle again this weekend, we attempted to answer the major issues facing their playingย listsย andย coachesย alike.

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West Coast

Will Adam Simpson be satisfied by a singular quarter of dominance?

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sometimes losses contain moral victories and sometimes conquests have no cause for celebration.

Despite his side obtaining the four points in their season opener, it is likely that Adam Simpson's head hit his pillow on Sunday night relieved rather than reveling in the fact.

Although Simpson's Eagles led for just under 80-minutes of Sunday's game against Gold Coast, you can be sure the 2018 Premiership coach drilled his troops on the track this week, after it took them until the final term to shake the plucky Suns.

Should you view the stats sheet for the clash between the AFL's most geographically distanced sides, you will find that West Coast finished ahead in almost every measure. Still, it was the Suns' ability to match the Eagles for clearances and possessions that should give Simpson the most cause for concern, especially when one considers the chasmic difference between the combatants experience levels.

The Eagles rank inside the league's top three teams for both games played and age, whilst the Suns sit comfortably in the bottom two for both. Such is the divide, if you were to have labelled the contest as โ€˜men versus boys', it is likely that some would have consumed your hyperbole with a straight face.

Even though his side was able to set the Suns with a five goal to one final term, if Simpson's Eagles start with a snail's pace against the Dog's on Sunday, their 2021 ledger may be squared.

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