WEST Coast coach Jarrad Schofield says his past month as the Eagles' caretaker has reignited his purpose for coaching as he firms as a leading contender to win the permanent role next month.
Schofield orchestrated a drought-breaking win against Gold Coast last Friday night and has made effective shifts with the Eagles' game style and competitiveness, turning the team into among the competition's best pressure outfits over four weeks.
While the 49-year-old was solely focused on helping the Eagles improve in the final three rounds, there have been "casual chats" with chief executive Don Pyke and general manager Gavin Bell about the national search being undertaken to find Adam Simpson's successor.
With momentum building around his prospects ahead of a clash against North Melbourne on Saturday in Hobart, Schofield said he would continue to coach in an authentic manner and enjoy the experience.
"It's reignited why I coach and why I started coaching back in 2009 after finishing playing football, from under-18s at Subiaco to here," Schofield said on Thursday.
"So I'm just enjoying it, and you enjoy it when you see the work that we're putting in.
"It all happened really quick, and I'm in this seat and I'm just being myself. I'm not doing anything different. I'm not trying to be someone that I'm not.
"Just because we're a club that's got 100,000 members and a lot more money than Subiaco, it doesn't mean you coach any differently. You've got to be your authentic self and that's what I think I'm doing."
Schofield said he had not held reservations about taking on the role in a caretaker capacity for six weeks and committed to it straight away after being approached by Bell with the offer early last month.
"You've got six weeks to put a little bit of an imprint, and I haven't tried to change too much. I've just layered in a bit about my philosophy and how I see things from the game," he said.
"I've already had casual chats with Pykey and Belly around it all, but they're being respectful with the whole situation, and I understand what the club's going through.
"But my whole focus is just coaching the team and enjoying it for what it is at the moment."
Schofield said the decision to select retiring wingman Andrew Gaff this week and in a farewell game against Carlton in round 23 was made collectively, allowing the club's all-time disposal winner to reach AFL life membership with 300 games, inclusive of pre-season and representative matches.
The match committee would now work through how he best fits into the team, including the potential to play as the substitute in his first AFL match since round 13 and his fourth for the season.
"I know the club was fully supportive of it, I know the match committee were, and I know the player group is really looking forward to seeing Gaffy out there," Schofield said.
"We just want Gaffy to go out there and play and enjoy the moments that he has left at the football club, and we'll get the Andrew Gaff that we've all come to expect.
"He'll run hard, he'll look to be a good teammate, and he'll play a selfless role.
"This year's been challenging for him. But let's focus on what he's given to this club as well over a long period of time."
The Eagles will be without key defender Tom Barrass again for Saturday's clash as he manages a combination of concussion symptoms and a hamstring issue, while Harry Edwards is also sidelined after entering concussion protocols.
It could bring backman Rhett Bazzo into the frame for his first match of the season, with the Eagles also considering a debut before the end of the season for young tall forward Archer Reid.
Asked what the Eagles could learn from their last performance against North Melbourne, which saw them lose by nine points on home soil, Schofield said: "Play more than one quarter of football.
"When we dialled it up in the last quarter, we saw what we were capable of," he said. "We get that opportunity to front up again and it's a new week this week against North Melbourne."
