Respected football writer Mike Sheahan has called West Coast exactly that after their insipid and uninspiring performance against Essendon at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

And while "mummy's boy" is harsh and unflattering, it's hard to argue with Sheahan.

And as bizarre as it sounds, the Bombers 61-point drubbing of the Eagles was flattering because West Coast were outmuscled and outplayed in every department.

"They are mummy's boys, there is no question about that,' Sheahan told SEN Radio on Monday morning.

"They must be scared to leave Perth Airport. They have had four visits to Melbourne: they beat North when North weren't travelling well and they have lost the other three conclusively.

"I don't know what's wrong with this group; half of them are Victorians anyway."

The Eagles inability to win in Melbourne has been well documented but the lack of commitment by the players was damning.

It wasn't the venue that was an issue, it was the lack of guts.

The Eagles were smashed at the contests and Bombers' players brushed off their West Coast opponents like they were taking on an Auskick side.

Jack Redden just standing on the spot after being pushed off the ball by David Zaharakis should see him jettisoned back to East Perth for a few weeks.

When Essendon hard nut Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti first run down Chris Masten, then continually slammed him into the turf like a tattooed rag doll, not one Eagle bothered to come to his rescue.

West Coast coach Adam Simpson can put on his angry face at the post-match conference and claim "it was a terrible" performance, but the way the Eagles were "bullied" by the Bombers would be giving him sleepless nights.

And Simpson was simply out-coached by John Worsfold.

Simpson looks like a genius when his players are running ahead of the ball at Domain Stadium and racking up possessions.

But when he is challenged early, he has no plan B and the old chestnut of throwing Jeremy McGovern forward doesn't cut the mustard in 2017.

Simpson will back his players this week because in reality there are no kids at East Perth knocking down the door.

He has to do what Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge did during the week when he made the tough call to drop underperforming premiership player Tom Liberatore.

Mark LeCras is an immensely talented forward but he needs a spell. Sharrod Wellingham, Sam Butler and Redden are all playing with a lack of confidence and a week or two in the WAFL would help them get some touch.

The Eagles will be reluctant to pick ace recruit Willie Rioli after just one reserve game with East Perth, but West Coast have nothing to lose by rolling the dice with the small forward.

And talented young onballer Luke Partington may have only played eight games with the Royals, but he picked up 32 touches on the weekend so just throw him into the deep end.

The Eagles midfield was made to look "slow" against the Bombers and opposition teams have worked out if you stop Sam Mitchell and Matt Priddis you dry up power forward Josh Kennedy's supply.

And in Kennedy's absence, no other Eagles' forward looks like getting his hands on the ball away from Domain Stadium.

Simpson said leaders need to stand up when his side's back is against the wall.

"It starts with your leaders, how you respond when your backs are against the wall in that second quarter, and converting opportunities," he said after the game.

But when Mitchell tried to get into the ear of Liam Duggan at half-time, the youngster seemed disinterested.

And there appeared to be a serious lack of encouragement from captain Shannon Hurn when his usually reliable backmen where getting carved up by the speedy Bombers' forwards.

It's not panic stations at the Eagles just yet.

West Coast may come out this weekend and beat the Giants and all will be forgotten for now.

And the Eagles don't travel again to Melbourne until round 15 so West Coast could be entrenched in the top 8 by then.

But if West Coast can't win in Melbourne, the Eagles will simply be making up the numbers come finals time.

My two units in psychology at university don't give me the credentials to suggest there is a massive psychological problem for the Eagles when they play in Melbourne.

But there is no denying the Eagles are flat-track bullies at home and woeful when they have to jump on a plane and play in Melbourne.

Simpson can't pick the same underperforming players when the Eagles take on the Bulldogs in Round 15 at Etihad Stadium.

If he does, the Eagles will be slaughtered by the Bulldogs run.

The Australian cricket team has adopted a "horses for courses" approach when playing away from home.

And as radical as it sounds, it might be time for the Eagles to adopt the same approach when playing in Melbourne.