West Coast assistant coach Peter Sumich has declared the enforced week off for most Eagles players during the Hall of Fame weekend will have refreshed the side as it looks to put a horror run with form and injury behind it.
In an odd week for West Coast, where Sumich, for once, did not have to talk about another major injury, the Eagles assistant declared that the break will revitalise the side going into a tough road trip to face the Kangaroos at the Gold Coast's Carrara Stadium.
"The weekend off for most of them, it was great," was Sumich's view on the Hall of Fame Tribute Match, which saw only two Eagles, Dean Cox and Daniel Kerr, playing for the Dream Team side against Victoria.
"Mentally, today they have come back really fresh and hopefully we can get a win on the board."
But, while Sumich was pleased his players were mentally refreshed and without serious injury following the weekend, despite a scare for Kerr, he said the 2006 premiers still had a long way to go if they were to recover from a dismal start to this campaign.
"There's a lot of things to learn from the first seven games," said Sumich. "And, even though one win and six losses isn't great, hopefully they can learn what they did wrong and what they did right and put it all together and hopefully come up with the right package over the last 15 or 16 games."
Sumich, though, attributed the poor form to several reasons; from new personnel following the loss of former skippers Chris Judd and Ben Cousins to single quarter fadeouts, like the club's second term against Carlton last round, which have cost the club dearly during 2008.
"There's no excuse, the boys have been off the boil with one quarter and they know that," said Sumich.
"It's been highlighted so we just got to rectify that. And, if you have a consistent four quarters, we'll be in most games. It doesn't mean you win them all, but we'll be in most," he said.
Sumich also said the club's extremely disappointing away form - it has lost it's three matches away from Subiaco by an average 66 points - could be somewhat put down to having more young players in its squad.
"I think it's got a lot to do with personnel as well as a little bit of the mind set," he said.
"You add four or five younger kids on the road. I know when I was younger, it took a while and the senior players know how to handle it but, when you got three or four that don't, that does impact on the side at times and, you know, they're getting used to going on the road and travelling and they will only get better for it."
"As well, our (home) form, look, isn't great and I think everybody knows that, so our form on the road is going to be average 'cause it is average here as well."