DESPITE battling through another tough season, West Coast coach Michael Prior felt his team was “on the right path” and that the Eagles form would “turn” at some stage. It comes off the back of a gallant, yet unrewarded effort against finals-bound Geelong at Ikon Park, going down 4.10 (34) to 4.1 (25).

Though the tight margin of just nine points, Prior conceded that the Cats misses – particularly a number of posters in the match – had kept the Eagles within striking distance.

“I think they kept us in it a bit, they missed a lot of opportunities,” Prior said. I thought we got going a little bit better in the second half, but that first half they had a lot more territory than us and made it really hard for us to score. We played with a few things and fixed a few things, but they kept us in the game a little bit.”

The Eagles’ last win came in Round 4 when they upstaged GWS GIANTS in New South Wales, but have since dropped the past four – including a heartbreaker to expansion side Hawthorn – in that time. With just two wins from the eight games, the Eagles sit 15th on the table, but remarkably are still two points clear of rivals Fremantle.

Prior said it was not so much about the wins and losses as much as the development and he believed quite a number of young players were showing development in Season 7.

“I think Sarah Lakay in the ruck keeps developing, Ella Roberts forward,” he said. “I think she kicked our first one early in the game. We’ve got a lot of young players, Jaide Britton out on the wing, a running machine, runs all day. Charlie Thomas develops in her second year, we’ve had three nominations for the Rising Star in the last three weeks.

“We feel we’re on the right path and it will turn for us. We’ve still got some hard work to go, but there’s patches in games where you think ‘if we do that for four quarters we’ll be okay’. That’s just the evolution and the growth in our group, it will just take a little bit of time.”

Another developing player who Prior believes should be in All-Australian contention is Sophie McDonald. The West Coast coach said McDonald was only “underrated” externally, held in high regard within the four walls of the Eagles camp.

“She’s been fantastic for us,” Prior said. She should be spoken about in All-Australian contention as a key back. I think out of eight games now, she’s been beaten once in that time. We continue to throw those jobs at Soph, she does her homework, she studies her opposition and that’s why she’s getting her job done on the weekend.”

Leader Dana Hooker also showed her adaptability on gameday, moving from the forward half of the ground into the midfield to provide some run and a spark for the team against the Cats.

“She’s played forward for us in the last three weeks and really added that speed element, that tackle chasedown pressure with (Mikayla) Western,” Prior said. We thought she started the game really well today and then in the second half we threw her in the midfield, played her through the midfield a lot in the second half. I thought it was her best game of the year tonight. She’s a very good player for us and one we can change roles on game day and get the best out of her.”

West Coast has two tough games remaining, facing the Western Bulldogs at home this weekend, in what is a crunch match for the Dogs. If Nathan Burke’s side does not fly home with the four points, its finals spot could be in jeopardy with Gold Coast Suns hosting Carlton at Metricon Stadium. If the Suns win, they regain eighth spot heading into the final round. The Eagles then close out their season with one of the toughest trips in the AFL Women’s, taking on Melbourne at Casey Fields.