Four games into a stop-start first season as an Eagle, star midfielder Tim Kelly is seeing signs of improving chemistry with his onball cohort.

And while nobody is happy with West Coast’s performances so far in Queensland, the former Cat and South Fremantle product knows there is still time to get back on track in 2020.

Challenged by coach Adam Simpson to find another gear against Port Adelaide, the engine room dominated at centre bounces (15-6) while the side broke even in contested ball.

But finding that deadly efficiency as a unit remained largely elusive, albeit there were some promising signs, including from Kelly whose determined effort returned 18 touches, four clearances and a goal.

“I feel like we’re building,” Kelly told reporters on Wednesday from Royal Pines Resort.

“We were obviously pretty poor against the Suns, stepped it up a bit in Brisbane but when the game was on the line we just couldn’t win the footy, couldn’t use it.

“It’s been a bit of a struggle, to be honest, but I felt like on the weekend we took a step forward.

“It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t pretty and a lot of us are still a long way away from our best footy.

“Myself, I put my hand up, I’m definitely in that box at the moment.

“We’re determined to turn it around. I felt like I took a step forward on the weekend.

“Us as mids have a big role to play.”

In 48 appearances for Geelong, the 25-year-old averaged a goal a game as he burst onto the AFL scene in stunning fashion.

That ability to get forward and impact the scoreboard was a key part of his swift rise to stardom, and his silky skills inside 50 could be an avenue for West Coast to kick more goals.

“I was playing a little bit more forward in the opening rounds and didn’t play as much on the weekend. We’ll just see how it pans out,” Kelly said.

"In recent weeks, our struggle has been getting it in there and one of our biggest struggles still are locking it in there and allowing our forwards to go to work and do their thing.

“I’ll play wherever the team wants me, wherever Simmo wants me to play.

"If that means I’ve got to go forward and try to hit the scoreboard a little bit more then I’ll do that.”

Kelly said his partner Caitlin and three boys had adapted well to living in the hub, and although he was excited by the prospect of returning to play in front of a packed Optus Stadium, his focus is firmly on notching a crucial win over Sydney.

The Eagles will wear their Indigenous guernsey on Saturday at Metricon Stadium to acknowledge NAIDOC Week and celebrate the contribution of Indigenous players to the game and club.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Kelly said after donning the guernsey for his media conference.

“Obviously NAIDOC Week back home so a good chance for us as a club to show our appreciation of Indigenous players and what they mean to the competition across the board.

 “But more importantly the Indigenous players who will be wearing this on the weekend and the ones who have played before us.

“Hoping it brings us a bit of luck.”