We may have seen the last of the "Weagles Web".
West Coast defender Sharrod Wellingham said that while the Eagles much-talked about defensive set-up was not to blame for their grand final loss to Hawthorn on Saturday, there's no guarantee that it will survive to see 2016.
Questions were asked of coach Adam Simpson in the lead-up to the game as to whether the "Weagles Web", as it has been labelled, would be as effective on the wider MCG as it had been at Domain Stadium.
It had turned the Eagles into one of the tightest defensive teams in the competition and was analysed extensively in the media in the second half of the season – often to the amusement of Simpson.
But how would it hold up away from home?
Saturday's grand final was just the second game the Eagles played at the MCG this season.
And while Cyril Rioli managed to cut through it on Saturday on his way to a Norm Smith Medal victory, Wellingham backed his side's style of play.
But with key defenders Eric Mackenzie and Mitch Brown both set to return next season after missing all of 2015, Wellingham said he expected there to be changes.
"(Rioli's) an enormously talented player and he's going to find space where others might not," Wellingham said.
"We still won one here (at the MCG); that was against the Tigers, who were a top eight side as well this year.
"We've got belief that it holds up. But in saying that, it's not something that we trained for over the summer; it's not something that we came into the year trying to execute.
"It is something that grew through necessity.
"We're not sure what will happen next year; dunno if I will be a backman again next year."
Both Mackenzie and Brown are already back on the track and will be ready for the 2016 pre-season. Plus with another summer under his belt, Jackson Nelson will also come into contention for more game time, after making 11 appearances in his debut season.
That will allow Simpson to play the style of play the Eagles did train for during the pre-season before they suffered their significant long-term injuries.
And it will allow for several players, including Wellingham, to be freed up and played in positions they are more akin to playing in.
Jeremy McGovern is another player who is likely to be shifted.
Although he made it into the All-Australian squad this season as a key-defender, he showed at the end of the Grand Final loss, albeit when the result was well and truly decided, that he will be a handy addition to the Eagles attack.
He kicked two goals after swinging forward late in the game.
Wellingham said that he thought the group would be able to bounce back quickly from the disappointment of the loss.
"The upside is the experience we got today," Wellingham said. "Everyone will be feeling the heartache and the pain of today, but I think we have a really mature group who will learn from this and take a positive attitude into the summer.
"We're already looking forward to getting back to day one."
The former Collingwood midfielder was one of just three Eagles who played on Saturday with grand final experience, having won one with Collingwood. Xavier Ellis (Hawthorn) and Sam Butler (West Coast) are the other two.
Wellingham he said he thought the Eagles players handled the occasion well, but their inability to execute some of their skills and slow Hawthorn down when they had a run on cost them.
"We handled the week really well; the boys didn't get overawed by the occasion. We went out there having had a really good preparation," he said.
"We just weren't quite able to execute. But we went up against probably the best team of the last decade, so it's a pretty hard task.
"We have a huge appreciation for them and we'll look to learn from today.
"They are very skilful and we weren't able to slow them up and get them to play a style that we wanted them to play."
