West Coast skipper Shannon Hurn insists coach Adam Simpson still has the full support of the player group, and he hasn't given up hope of winning this year's AFL premiership.
Simpson is under pressure to turn the team's flagging fortunes around after Sunday's shock loss to Collingwood saw West Coast slip to ninth on the table.
West Coast will need to win at least three of their remaining five games to have a chance of qualifying for finals.
The Eagles will start as hot favourites against Brisbane at Domain Stadium on Sunday, before rounding out their season with games against St Kilda (away), Carlton (home), GWS (away), and Adelaide (home).
Last-quarter fadeouts have become a worrying trend for the Eagles.
West Coast have lost five of their past six final terms.
Their only fourth-quarter win during that stretch was by a single point - when they comfortably beat Fremantle in round 17.
Hurn said blame for the team's topsy-turvy season lay squarely at the feet of the players, and not fourth-year coach Simpson.
When asked whether Simpson still had the support of the player group, Hurn replied: "I believe so."
"Simmo, the coaches, have been clear about what we've been doing. It's been mapped out how to get better with it.
"So I think the players do (still have faith) for sure.
"It comes down to players taking responsibility for our own actions."
West Coast entered this season with the oldest list in the league.
Internal hopes were high they could snare a flag, especially following the addition of former Hawk Sam Mitchell.
But with results not going their way, Simpson has cast one eye to the future by giving more game time to younger players.
The long-term absence of star ruckman Nic Naitanui continues to leave the club's midfield brigade vulnerable.
But Hurn is adamant the Eagles can still turn their fortunes around.
"Players aren't silly. We know what we're doing isn't good enough," Hurn said.
"It's not clicking at the moment. But we have that in our control.
"If we want to sit back and have a sulk and go, 'Poor me, and poor this', you're not going to succeed.
"We are just playing three quarters of footy at the moment, and that's not enough to be a good team."
When asked whether the team can win the premiership this year, Hurn replied: "I always think that, yeah. But in the end it's about what actions do you want to put out there."
Share
