West Coast coach John Worsfold has revealed his young side was simply overwhelmed by Carlton's quality in the second half as the Blues registered their ninth win of the season in a 26-point result on Saturday night.
Leading by 26 points at half-time, the Eagles conceded 11 goals to three after the main break as the Blues produced a 50-point third term, just four points shy of Carlton's best-ever quarter at Subiaco.
It was an incredible turnaround by the Blues, who were down to three on the bench after a neck injury to Dennis Armfield.
But the turn of events didn't come as a complete surprise to Worsfold, who felt Carlton always had the quality to come back hard in the second half.
"Carlton just really lifted their game in that third quarter and won the centre clearances easily," Worsfold said.
"(They) then really pinned us in that back half, we couldn't beat them out."
"Half-time, I felt it was a really good effort by the boys, they were working really hard and grabbing opportunities."
"(But) Carlton had missed a few opportunities so I don't think it was really that big a margin."
"(They increased) their pressure," Worsfold added. "We certainly looked like we'd gone into our shell a little bit in that third quarter and part of that was the intensity that Carlton came out with."
"Their clean ball handling, we missed a few easy opportunities with fumbles that then coughed the ball up and Carlton latched onto that."
"Just all a multitude of little things," he said.
Last on the ladder, four points behind 15th-placed Richmond, the Eagles are facing a massive derby encounter with Fremantle next week as they look to avoid the club's first wooden spoon.
But West Coast may have to face the Dockers without midfielder Adam Selwood, who injured his AC joint deep in the third quarter after copping a heavy bump from Jarrad Waite that saw the Carlton man reported.
Eagles' mature recruit Ashton Hams was also placed in the book for rough conduct after collecting Armfield with a high bump in the second term that resulted in the Blues' defender being taken to hospital for scans on his neck.