The Eagles were beaten by 46 points, but crucially trailed by 31 points at half-time despite having had only one fewer scoring shot than their opponents.

Simpson could hear the victorious Hawks blast out their song as he sat vanquished, trying to explain what had let his team down on the biggest stage.

Asked about their missed shots, Simpson was blunt.

"It killed us," he said.

"I think we were second in the comp last year for accuracy.

"We missed some gettable goals today. But Hawthorn did as well.

"[But at] critical moments in games, we missed a few."

It was not only in front of goal that West Coast were profligate. Time after time in the first half they fumbled or failed to find their men, presenting the Hawks with chances they gladly accepted.

Simpson was loath to single out any  individual for blame, but conceded that a pair of mistakes by Luke Shuey and Jack Darling had shut out any chance his Eagles had of mounting a comeback.

West Coast kicked three straight goals either side of half-time, and had drawn to within four goals when Shuey somehow picked out Hawk Taylor Duryea as the Eagles dasher tried to find a target inside 50. Darling  spilt a regulation mark, allowing the Hawks to create a passage of play that ended with a Ryan Schoenmakers goal.

By that point the half-time margin had been restored, and from there West Coast capitulated, with Hawthorn extending their lead to 50 points by the final change.

Simpson said those moments had been important.

"You'd hate to blame the two people for that, but they're the moments you need to take.

"I must admit there was a moment there in the third quarter we started to get some momentum, but they make you pay.

"[It was a] combination of their pressure and getting exposed by turnovers.

"I think sometimes you can fumble and you can not quite handle situations, but you don't get punished like you do when you play Hawthorn, and you've got to give all credit to them and the way they played."

Simpson said  his men  were thoroughly beaten across the board.

"It just didn't feel like we were in the game all day to the level we wanted to be. Missed opportunities, some turnovers that fuelled their ball movement and experience combine. They're an elite side and deserve the victory."

West Coast beat the Hawks three weeks ago at Domain Stadium, but could not stop the Hawks' at the MCG, with Simpson noting Hawthorn's expertise at playing the ground.

"The way they structure up that's to use the whole ground, and we know that.

"They're the best ever at setting up then using the ball."

Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy was held scoreless, and again Simpson said that the responsibility needed to be shared.

"I thought our forward line were a bit off today as a whole unit. I thought the Hawks' defence was a really back seven. But supply wasn't great. I think we had 40 inside-50s. We average 55.

"I think the collective, the whole way we played today was one of our poorer games."

Asked about his team's strategy for stopping Norm Smith medallist Cyril Rioli, who set up the victory with a stunning first 40 minutes, Simpson said that in the end the four-time premiership player had been too good.

"We play as a unit. We've been performing really well throughout the year at beating forward lines that have really good talent."

Rioli finished the game with 18 disposals and two goals, but Simpson said that he could not have done much differently.

"We tried a couple of things but he's just a bloody good player."

Having taken his team from ninth in 2014 to the grand final, Simpson said he was proud of what had been achieved, but refuted suggestions that this was a loss that West Coast had to have in order to win a premiership in the near future.

"I don't think you need to lose one to win one, but think experience will help us. It's a bittersweet feeling, because we're really proud of what they've done this year."