Interim coach Jarrad Schofield insists West Coast will not be taking injury-hit Carlton lightly as the Blues head west in the hunt for a finals berth.
The Eagles have gathered some momentum in come-from-behind wins over Gold Coast and North Melbourne but haven’t put together four complete quarters.
West Coast has not won three-straight since rounds 7-9 in 2021 and will have the added motivation of farewelling retiring club champion Andrew Gaff at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
“We go into every game as a 50-50 opportunity to win a game. We’ve won two games in a row. Our mindset is positive. We know that things don’t get handed to you,” Schofield said.
“We have had a really strong week on the track. We reviewed our game (against North) strongly, too. We got away with a great win but there was a quarter-and-a-half of football where we weren’t at the level we’d been for the previous weeks.
“We reflect on that and we’ve got to make sure we bring a four-quarter effort against a Carlton side that are playing for a lot.
“(They have) a lot of excitement around the players they could possibly bring in, so we’ve got to make sure we keep our eye on the ball.”
The Blues lost six players to injury from last round’s loss to Hawthorn, with twin towers Charlie Curnow (ankle) and Harry McKay (quad) key outs.
But the Eagles are also down key defender Tom Barrass (back/hamstring) for another week after he was unable to train on Thursday.
“Every team has first-choice players out. We’re no different. Obviously you go through a period at the moment where they’ve got a few injuries but that’s why you have a list of 40-odd players to pick from,” Schofield said.
“It’s well-documented the key position players they’ve got out, but let’s not lose sight of what they’ve still got in their side.
“They’re still a very strong side and we’ve got to prepare for that. They’ve got a Brownlow medallist (Patrick Cripps) in that side that really leads them well.
“We’re under no illusion that we’re not going to be distracted by their injuries because every team has got them at these stage and they’re just having to deal with that.”
Schofield declared in-form spearhead Jake Waterman would face Carlton after battling flu symptoms earlier in the week.
Gaff has been named on the wing in his 280th and final West Coast appearance after an impactful role as the starting sub against the Roos in Hobart.
“All we want Gaffy to do is play his role, be selfless as he has done for his whole career,” Schofield said.
“Hopefully our guys do the same and really honour him by playing the brand of football that we want to and the outcome will hopefully look after itself.”
Despite external commentary whether he would put his hand up for the full-time senior coaching role, Schofield reiterated that he is solely focused on getting the most from the team in the final two matches.
“I know it sounds cliched but I’m really focusing on week-to-week to and coaching the best I can to help the side be better and be consistent,” he said.
“In due course we’ll have those conversations, the club has got a process to go through and I respect that and understand that.
“What other coaches are doing in terms of their decision (whether to apply), that’s not in my control, that’s their control so I’m not worrying about that.
“What I am excited about is what we’ve seen over the last period of time is what we’ve got for the future.
“I am excited about where this football club is heading.”
