The West Coast Eagles battled hard but ultimately fell short in their round 11 clash against the Sydney Swans at Henson Park on Saturday, making Friday’s clash with Carlton a do-or-die moment in their pursuit of a maiden finals berth.

Senior coach Daisy Pearce reflected on a performance full of grit but lacking polish in key moments.

“It’s a disappointing result,” Pearce said post-match.

“You come here to win, and when you don’t get the result, it stings. But there were positives. We turned the game into a real contest, which was our aim.

“Sydney can be dangerous when they get their uncontested game going, and there were periods where it looked like our brand of footy.”

Despite matching Sydney in contested possessions and ground ball wins, Pearce pointed to missed opportunities and lapses in concentration as decisive factors.

“Our inability to take the chances we created hurt us,” Pearce said.

“You’ve got to be clean and take your moments. Sydney did that better than us today.”

The Eagles were dealt a late blow with star midfielder Ella Roberts ruled out on game day due to hamstring tightness. Pearce explained the decision was made with Roberts’ long-term fitness in mind.

“Ella travelled with the team and was close to playing but didn’t quite pass all the markers we needed.

“It was an important game, but we weren’t prepared to take any risks. We want her fit and firing for next week.”

Despite Roberts’ absence, Pearce praised the adaptability of her squad, highlighting the versatility of Bella Lewis and Lucia Painter, as well as the team’s growing belief in their system.

“They know how important Ella is, but their attitude was ‘let’s go, let’s win.’ I’m loving seeing that belief grow,” Pearce said.

Looking ahead, Pearce is optimistic about Roberts’ return.

“Ella will be going into next week doing everything she can to be ready for Carlton,” Pearce said.

With finals still within reach, Pearce is confident her group will respond strongly in their clash against Carlton under Friday night lights.

“Every loss this year has been a learning opportunity,” Pearce said.

“We’ve bounced back well before, and I back this group to do it again. There’ll be lessons from today that make us better.”