EAGLES hard-man Beau Waters and assistant coach Peter Sumich have reaffirmed West Coast's winning culture as the AFL's 21st century ritual of 'tanking' speculation gathers momentum for season 2008.

The Eagles, sitting 15th on the ladder with just two wins for the season, took an inexperienced side to Telstra Dome on Friday night, eventually succumbing to Essendon by 22 points.

It seems to have been the result to trigger the first serious debate about AFL sides losing with an eye on top-end draft picks, but Waters said draft selections were the last thing on West Coast players' minds.

"Over 15 teams there might have been situations and scenarios that it might have transpired," Waters said.

"But I think if you're sort of implying anything towards the West Coast Eagles, we're a very powerful club and a very proud club and we play the game to win.

"We go through pre-season, we train six or seven days a week and draft selections are the last thing on our mind.

"We're all about tomorrow and we've got two games coming up against Geelong and Hawthorn, and then for the rest of the season we're still very excited about what's to come."

Sumich defended the decision to rest premiership players Daniel Kerr (calf), Michael Braun (knee) and Chad Fletcher (back), while Ash Hansen continued his search for form in the WAFL.

Playing Braun and Kerr in particular, Sumich said, was a risk the club was not willing to take.

"[Kerr] was declared out, unfit, now as a player you'll always say yeah, yeah I could have got through," Sumich said.

"Daniel tears his calf in the first 10 minutes I suppose the media will be looking at it saying, 'why'd you play him?'

"[Braun] probably shouldn't have been playing over the last month, so to his credit he has kept going. People don't know he's had some injections in his knee. So how far do you want to take a 29-year-old and maybe ruin another year for him?"

Sumich said all three midfielders were likely to regain their spots for this Saturday's clash with ladder leaders Geelong, while form and fitness would determine whether Waters returns immediately after serving a two-match suspension.

Regardless of the selected side and the club's ladder position, Sumich said there was much more to be gained from winning than losing in the second half of the season.

"The benefits in winning are Brad Ebert, (Chris) Masten, (Tim) Houlihan, (Ryan) Davis - that they get the experience of winning at this club," Sumich said.

"We've got a couple of tough games coming up with Geelong and Hawthorn, but to pinch one of those games, how good would that be for those young kids?

"Either way, we're just going out, like I said, each week to win.

"Where that puts us on the ladder, we don't know in 10 weeks time, but I think the media or the scribes will write what they want about how we finish and where we finish throughout the season.

"I'd hate to think we'd lose the next 10 home and away games. I'd be pretty devastated and I think the club would and I think the fans would."