West Coast’s odyssey: Is this the longest rebuild in club history?

West Coast’s arduous journey back up the ladder is becoming more treacherous than Odysseus’ harrowing 20-year trek home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.

While the legendary Greek King’s perilous sojourn involved gods, monsters, storms, saucy sirens, and human enemies, he probably would’ve jumped overboard if he’d been confronted with the ongoing hardships plaguing the Eagles.

The four-time premiers won’t have to poke a giant Cyclops in the eye (yes, I’m currently reading Homer’s The Odyssey ) as part of their long expedition to becoming an AFL powerhouse again, but the club’s much-anticipated rebuild has hit the skids.

You’d be foolish to suggest the club hasn’t improved this season, but there is no disguising the fact that West Coast has won only four games and, more alarmingly, lost its last 11 outings.

Andrew McQualter deserves some breathing space, given he inherited a bona fide basket case, but his record of five wins from 46 games is starting to look a little wobbly.

There have been moments in games when West Coast played some scintillating footy, but endless skill errors and poor decision-making have disrupted that intensity.

What would be disquieting for the club is that the Eagles still don’t have the talent or tools to push the momentum back in their favour when a team gets a run on.

To stop the bleeding, West Coast desperately needs to fix its inability to move the ball from the defensive half. The club doesn’t need to look far for inspiration, with Fremantle having the best rebound defence in the AFL.

Fremantle’s current success was built on establishing a defensive unit that was tighter and more daring than some of legendary trumpeter Miles Davis’ sextets.

Fremantle’s list manager, David Walls, has done an extraordinary job of building a side that has very few weaknesses. He is a genius at plugging holes.

Once the back six were settled, the club set about developing the most potent forward line in the AFL, with Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss and Patrick Voss.

So, if West Coast is going to keep moving forward, they must first look back.

The club will need to target a big, burly backman during the trade period, but some pieces of the defensive puzzle are already on its list.

Reuben Ginbey’s tenacity, grit and competitive spirit make him an ideal defensive “general”. If Rhett Bazzo keeps learning the delicate art of defending, he could form a crucial cog in defence.