Liam Baker has thrown his support behind fellow West Coast co-captain Liam Duggan, saying the premiership defender's leadership has been crucial for the young squad.
Comeback victories over North Melbourne and Port Adelaide had raised hopes that the days of the Eagles getting regularly thrashed were well and truly behind them.
But the past month has revived memories of the club's recent wooden spoon campaigns, with losses to Sydney (128 points), Geelong (46 points), Fremantle (56 points) and St Kilda (101 points) exposing their glaring frailties.
Long-term injuries to Deven Robertson (ACL), Jack Graham (shoulder) and Brandon Starcevich (calf) have severely hurt West Coast, while key defender Harry Edwards has missed most of the season with a concussion.
Duggan's form has been a growing concern this season, with his error-riddled performance in the western derby raising the ire of fans.
The 29-year-old's presence is crucial in the rebuilding squad, and Baker felt Duggan was doing a sound job despite the external criticism.
"Duggo's been going alright," Baker said on Wednesday.
"He's a great leader out there. He sets up behind the ball to make it easier for blokes like Josh Lindsay. He's a strong leader for us."
West Coast (2-5) have a great chance to snap their four-match losing streak when they host winless Richmond (0-7) at Optus Stadium on Saturday.
The Eagles copped a 49-point flogging late last year when the Tigers came to Perth, and Baker - a two-time premiership winner at Richmond - would love to get revenge.
"We got our pants pulled down against them at Optus last year, which was disappointing," Baker said.
"But they're a quality side. They've been in a lot of games they've played this year, although the scoreboard at the end of day doesn't really reflect that."
In some welcome news for West Coast, Edwards is set to line up in the WAFL this weekend for the first time since being concussed early in the round-two win over the Kangaroos.
Edwards was also concussed during the pre-season, and the Eagles have taken a cautious approach with the 25-year-old.
"It's good to see him out there," Baker said.
"I think he went through his protocols and ticked all the boxes. So it'd be exciting to see him play WAFL footy this week and hopefully he's up for (senior) selection in the weeks to come."
