West Coast made Brisbane fight for Sunday's win under caretaker coach Jarrad Schofield, cutting the margin to 12 points with 10 minutes to play but failing to find the crucial next goal as the visitors steadied.

Schofield said he had enjoyed being in the hot seat again after leading Subiaco at WAFL level, with the coach drawing a spirited response out of his players after a tumultuous week of change.

"I said to the boys before the game that it's been a while since I've had the butterflies run through the stomach," Schofield said.

"It took me back to the old playing days actually, but I was excited and it was about the opportunity to be able to lead a great bunch of players and the club.

"I love the game and it was just another way to continue on my journey and my experiences as a coach."

Schofield was proud of the team's spirit and resilience as the magnets were thrown around, with the coach pushing the players to express themselves early, resulting in a "helter skelter" start.

"We didn't wilt and we didn't go away from what we wanted to do," Schofield said.

"We wanted to be strong and we wanted to honour the contest, and the game's a brutal game. And I thought they did that for larger periods than what we probably have shown, but we didn't do it for long enough."

Schofield was pleased with Ryan Maric's performance on a wing, as well as Zane Trew's battle against a strong Brisbane midfield after getting his first extended chance this season.

He stopped short, however, of saying the next six weeks would be all about opportunities for fringe players.

"We are in an exploration period where we want to see what they can bring, but we're not here to hand out games. There's got to be a balance," he said.  

"I think that just builds a strong foundation when it comes to selection."