JACK Darling is the first to admit he has had some "bad moments" in big games.  

But reputations can be rebuilt, and that's exactly what the athletic West Coast forward has started doing in recent crunch matches.

Darling copped the brunt of supporter backlash for dropping a chest mark in the 2015 Grand Final, and for going less than 100 per cent in a contest late in last year's elimination final loss to the Western Bulldogs.       

The scrutiny was intense, but the next time Darling had the opportunity to stand up when it really counted, he grabbed it. 

In round 23, with a finals berth on a knife's edge, the 25-year-old put his body on the line running back with the flight and cannoning into the goal post as he took a decisive chest mark.

And when the Eagles need a fast start in their elimination final against Port Adelaide, Darling delivered.

He booted the game's first two goals, had three before half-time and relieved the pressure on spearhead Josh Kennedy to kick a winning score. 

"It's good to spread the load. For me to kick three and JK three, I don't think we've kicked the same amount of goals in a game for a while," Darling told AFL.com.au. 

"It sort of dried up a little bit in that second half, I would've liked to kick a few more but I was still competing in the air and other stuff." 

Stepping up in big moments has been a focus at West Coast, and Darling is showing the benefits of that work behind the scenes. 

"The whole group has talked about it," he said. 

"Every now and again we have a few sessions and talk about scenarios. 

"But for me, I think early on in my career I was known as performing pretty well in finals. 

"I obviously had two or three bad moments in games, which doesn’t define a game, but I've been bashed up a little bit."

In the first half of this season, Darling was back in the spotlight.

Despite a healthy return of 19 goals in the opening nine games, his impact was below his own expectations.

He was back under the blowtorch when he failed to fire on the Gold Coast in Kennedy's absence in round 11. 

Few knew in the lead-up to that match that his wife Courtney had gone into labour prematurely, and his son Max was born as he raced to the airport.

Darling played in the Eagles' eventual three-point loss, when he went goalless from eight disposals. 

But that was a turning point in his season. With his family life settled, Darling has worked with forward line coach Jaymie Graham on taking clear focuses into matches.

He has still averaged about two goals (23 in 12 matches since the bye) but has had more of a presence and lifted his workrate.

"There's no hiding away from it. My form's been a lot better," Darling said. 

"Obviously the pregnancy stuff was a bit tough. 

"Now that's Max is born and all healthy, I'm so happy and he just brings a lot of joy to my world.

"It's a bit of being happy off-field and clear focus points on-field to turn my form around."

After two emotion-charged victories to keep their season alive, it is the great unknown if the Eagles can carry their momentum into Saturday night's semi-final against Greater Western Sydney. 

While Darling was exhausted after the extra time elimination final win, he was confident the Eagles wouldn't suffer any residual effects, despite consecutive weeks of cross-country travel.

"It's finals time. I don't think it will have much impact," he said. "I'm just excited about the challenge. 

"We've got no fears going over there and we're just going to bring the same physical pressure and just try our guts out."