West Coast have reached another test of how much damage a bad run can do. After winning two of their first three games in 2026, the Eagles have slid badly, and they face GWS at Optus Stadium today with little room left for a flat start.
The club named its team on Friday and said there were no late changes, with Matt Flynn and Bailey Williams set to operate as dual rucks. Cooper Duff-Tytler is taking a break this week, a call that underlines how carefully West Coast are trying to handle a young list while they search for a response.
Coach Andrew McQualter has already made the plan around Duff-Tytler plain. “We’ve got really long-term plans with ‘Coop’, It’s hard when he probably played his best game for us last week, but we just have to be really smart with the way we manage him,” he said during the week. The message was clear enough: the club wants the teenager available for the long haul, even if that means sitting him now.
That approach fits the mood around a side under pressure. West Coast lost to Melbourne at Marvel last week after fighting back in the second half, but the damage had already been done in a match they lost in a quarter. They were also back out on a perfect day for footy at Optus Stadium, with the sun out and a crowd getting a look at a team still trying to find its shape.
Today’s game also comes in Sir Doug Nicholls Round, which West Coast are marking under the name Waalitij Marawar. Malakai Champion and Tim Kelly were on media duties to help celebrate the occasion, while a few Eagles including Tom McCarthy, Ryan Maric and Jobe Shanahan came out for an early warm-up before the main contest.
There is at least one favorable piece of the matchup for West Coast. They will not have to deal with Jesse Hogan, who is not playing against them, but GWS still bring serious firepower through Aaron Cadman and Jake Stringer in the forward line. That leaves the Eagles needing more than just effort to stay in the game.
What West Coast need most is a lift from the leaders around the younger players. Co-captains Liam Baker and Liam Duggan are being looked to for form and direction, with Josh Lindsay and Willem Duursma among the next wave the club wants to carry through the pressure. If the senior pair can steady the side, the Eagles game today could tell the club something useful about where it really stands.
For now, the equation is simple. West Coast are trying to stop the slide, manage their youngsters without losing momentum, and show at home that the opening burst of 2026 was not a false start.
