West Coast’s aspirations of back-to-back AFLW finals have taken a significant blow as they slumped to a third successive loss to start the season, falling to a 17-point defeat to Adelaide.

Despite the ample sun and minimal clouds at Unley Oval, when it rained for the Eagles, it poured and in a game of scoring runs, Adelaide’s ability to hit the scoreboard more consistently proved the main difference in the 9.6 (60) to 6.7 (43) loss.

For the second week running, a disappointing first-half performance set West Coast (known as Waalitj Marawar during AFL Indigenous Round) too far behind the eight-ball and despite a feisty fightback after the main break, they were not able to run down their opponents.

The Eagles were by no means disgraced and once again put up a strong fight and a brave face, but Adelaide (known as Kuwarna during AFL Indigenous Round) had the requisite class to separate themselves across the four terms.

Ella Roberts did her best to will her team back into the contest with 26 disposals, eight tackles and seven clearances, while fellow star Charlie Thomas was similarly gallant with 22 disposals, six intercepts and six score involvements.

Coach Daisy Pearce had said team defence was their focus heading into the game, only to watch her side give up a six-goal second term.

While they did regroup and hold the Crows to just eight points after half-time, by that time they had a mountain to climb.

The road ahead for West Coast, already reeling from two losses to start the season, does not get better. With only nine games left in the short season, they face two top four teams from last season in Brisbane and Melbourne across the next two weeks.

At half-time, most of the main stats were evenly matched or slightly in West Coast’s favour — aside from the most important one, with the Crows nursing a 27-point lead.

The hosts’ pressure and attack on the football made life difficult for the Eagles, who were trapped inside their own defensive 50 with the key seemingly thrown away for most of the first half.

The pressure was borne out in the tackle stats, where the Crows made 24 more for the game, including a 11-7 edge in tackles inside 50.

Adelaide kicked the opening two goals of the game through Grace Egan and Madison Newman, before the Eagles responded with two of their own to end the first term though Lauren Wakfer and Sarah Lakay.

The hosts swiftly responded with three goals in five minutes as Egan nabbed a second after Grace Kelly returned to haunt her former club and Adelaide star Ebony Marinoff goaled from a forward pocket clearance.

Even though West Coast hit back with two more majors — a well-worked move finished by Sanne Bakker and a composed Amy Franklin goal — Adelaide ended the second term on another three-goal run.

Frustratingly for the Eagles, they were unable to properly frank some third quarter dominance. After Kellie Gibson kicked an early goal, her side were only able to add three behinds and trailed by 23 points heading into the last term.

Lou Painter’s final-term goal spurred another wave of intense Eagles forward pressure as they dominated territory but just like the third term, they could not chew into the deficit even further.

SCOREBOARD

ADELAIDE 2.2 8.4 9.5 9.6 (60)

WEST COAST 2.0 4.1 5.4 6.7 (43)

Goals – ADELAIDE: G Egan 2 M Newman G Kelly E Marinoff C Gould C Brown J Douglas N Kelly. WEST COAST: L Wakfer S Lakay S Bakker A Franklin K Gibson L Painter.

Best – ADELAIDE: E Marinoff M Newman T Charlton S Goodwin C Gould S Allan. WEST COAST: E Roberts C Thomas I Lewis A Bushby E Slocombe K Gibson.

Injuries – ADELAIDE: K Cronin (knee).

Umpires: L Haussen A Bennett S Tozer K Bayre. Crowd: TBC at Unley Oval.