West Coast coach Andrew McQualter isn't necessarily a believer in the "new coach bounce", but he knows Essendon will be playing with an invaluable "spike" in their AFL clash in Perth.
Essendon coach Brad Scott was axed earlier this week after guiding the team to just one win from their past 24 matches.
In further upheaval, Essendon announced on Friday assistant coach Ben Jacobs and head of psychology and wellbeing Ben Robbins have also departed.
Dean Solomon has been installed as the Bombers' interim coach, but he will be without Andrew McGrath, Mason Redman, Sam Durham, Jye Caldwell and Matt Guelfi for Sunday's contest with the Eagles.
McQualter knows all too well how a group can transform when a coaching change is implemented, having led Richmond to seven wins from 13 games in 2023 after Damien Hardwick stepped down as coach mid-season.
The theory is a player group lifts - especially in the first game - when a new coach comes in, but McQualter isn't a believer in the new-coach bounce.
"No, I don't believe in that," McQualter said on Friday.
But the second-year Eagles coach reckons a change at the top does at the very least affect the pride of players.
"I know they'll come out red-hot," McQualter said of Essendon.
"What they've been through this week, I've been through it personally.
"You definitely get a spike in players' pride - that just happens.
"So our expectation is there'll be a fierce Bombers team that turn up here on Sunday afternoon."
"Every team we come up against, we expect them to be at their best. We're building identity and form, and that doesn't change this week. They've got some pretty good players on their team and that doesn't change."
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) May 27, 2026
Jake Waterman on taking on Essendon pic.twitter.com/CXZEY6lrcU
West Coast (3-8) will start favourites against last-placed Essendon (1-10).
It's a situation the Eagles didn't handle well a few weeks ago in an upset loss to Richmond at home, but West Coast have since posted a shock win over GWS and a fighting effort in a 10-point defeat to Collingwood.
Prized Eagles recruit Brandon Starcevich, whose start at West Coast has been blighted by knee and calf issues, made it through a WAFL match on limited minutes last week.
Starcevich will feature in a second straight WAFL game this Sunday, but almost earned a call-up for the Bombers match.
"I was really tempted," McQualter said.
"We'd love him in our team, but we also really want to set him up to succeed.
"He only played about 70-odd minutes of game time last week, so we just thought ... he needs a bit more of a build before we expose him to AFL games."
West Coast received another boost this week when key defender Harry Edwards returned to training.
Edwards has been concussed three times this year, but there's still a chance the 25-year-old will be given the green light to play again this season.
"It's still a bit unknown, but hopefully," McQualter said.
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