Momentum can be a powerful tool in a game of football, as was evident in last weekend’s game against Richmond.

West Coast suffered a 38-point loss to the Tigers on Sunday afternoon at Optus Stadium, the visitors going on a seven-goal run either side of half-time, which proved costly at the final siren.

Despite an improved second half from West Coast, premiership defender Tom Cole said the Eagles will  keep focusing on simplifying the game to stop opposition sides from gaining momentum.

“It’s one of the most difficult things in footy, being able to deal with momentum, when you do it right it can help you win games of footy, so I think that’s something we’ve struggled with this year, teams have gone on big runs and we haven’t been able to stop them,” Cole said.

“One of the main things we kind of focus on is really simplifying the game.

“At the end of the day, getting the contest right, bringing good intensity and pressure around the ball is what’s going to get you back in the game, so we’ve had a big focus on that over the last month.”

After spending an extended period on the sidelines following an ankle injury in round four, Cole said his training program will be adjusted going forward in his career.

The 26-year-old was absent from the track at Mineral Resources Park on Tuesday morning as part of his planned program.

“This will be a new look for me, I’m coming off a year and a half of not playing, so my program will look different for probably the rest of my career in terms of how much training I do throughout the week,” Cole said.

“I’ll just do the main training and play on weekends and then all the other stuff around it, but I won’t be doing as much.

“Over the next month or the next three weeks I’ll be back to a full game, I played about 80 percent of the game on the weekend, then maybe 85 this week, maybe 90 the next and continue on that sort of progression.

“It’s been a while since I’ve hit bodies and been in the contest of an AFL game and you forget how sore you pull up after games of footy.”

Looking ahead to round 19, Cole said West Coast will need to be at their best when they face an in-form Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.

“They’re playing good footy at the moment,” Cole said.

“They’re playing a good, honest brand built around the contest and bringing pressure around the ball and that’s held them in good stead for the last month so we’re going to have to be at our best.

“Our away form hasn’t been great this year so we’re going to need to be at our best to be a chance to win.”