West Coast coach Adam Simpson admits he's still trying to find the best way to balance his forward line, and an act of ill discipline hasn't made his job any easier.
The Eagles broke their four-game AFL losing streak last week with a 111-point win over Greater Western Sydney.
However, the triumph came at a major cost, with forward Mark LeCras copping a one-week suspension for his head-high bump on Will Hoskin-Elliott.
West Coast have failed to win a game this season when LeCras has been absent, falling to Carlton, Port Adelaide, Geelong and Fremantle.
LeCras has booted 11.2 in his four appearances this year, with his strong marking and clever ground-level play giving the Eagles vital flexibility in attack.
Without him, West Coast's tall forward set-up has failed to gel.
LeCras will miss next week's clash with Collingwood at the MCG, and Simpson admits the 2010 All-Australian is one of the team's most important players and will prove hard to replace.
"He rounds off our forward line really well," Simpson told Perth radio station 6PR.
"We've experimented with talls and different types of players. We're still not quite settled.
"We are still trying to find our best line-up, and that will continue throughout the year."
Former Western Bulldog Josh Hill and Pat McGinnity are in line to replace LeCras against the Pies.
Simpson said he was disappointed with LeCras' suspension, especially after a week in which head-high bumps had dominated headlines.
"He didn't need to do that. I spoke to him about it," Simpson said.
"I've got no doubt he'd process it differently if his arm (that he broke recently) was 100 per cent. But having said that, it's still no excuse."
Eagles players will be given four days off during this week's bye.
Simpson said it would be up to the leadership group to ensure there were no off-field controversies during that period.
"We've set some expectations and hopefully they adhere to them," Simpson said.
"The leaders really drive that. Gone are the days where the coach holds their hand."
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