WEST COAST coach John Worsfold says he is willing to wear criticism as well as a growing losing streak on the road as he steers his young side towards future success.

Worsfold's 20-point MCG defeat at the hands of bottom-placed Melbourne on Saturday was his 18th in succession interstate.

And with away games against Port Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide to round out the season, West Coast is closing in on the unwanted record of 21 consecutive road losses set by the Sydney Swans between round nine, 1992 and round six, 1994.

"The records we're breaking at the moment are going to be a by-product of what we're building towards," Worsfold said from Subiaco Oval on Tuesday.

"And I'm prepared to wear that pain and prepared to wear the short-sighted criticism for the long vision that we have.

"So the focus on current records; that's great, that's fine, people can go for that. But my absolute focus is building this team to win a premiership.

"I know what we're aiming to achieve and we'll stick to that and I believe we can do it."

Premiership players Ash Hansen and Mark Seaby were both left out of the Eagles side that faced Melbourne but are in contention for this week's daunting assignment against ladder leader St Kilda.

Worsfold said having players of that calibre out of the side while teenagers like Nic Naitanui developed would contribute to the side's road record.

"I can't put a more mature side out on the park or a team that can match up physically against some of the other teams – but we're building towards doing that," he said.

"I'm very confident that we'll have a team in two or three or four years' time that will win away from Perth and in Perth and win enough games to play in the finals."

The Eagles' worst defeat this season was a 97-point thumping from St Kilda at Docklands and Worsfold said his players were still seething at their performance in the round three clash.

Worsfold stayed in Melbourne to watch the Saints' 14th straight win, a modern classic against Geelong full of individual heroics, but wouldn't be drawn on how gruelling the match would have been for Ross Lyon's men.

"Two undefeated teams at this time of the year playing – you would expect that they're going flat out," he said.

"And the quality of the teams and the way they play means it was an intense game.

"[Our focus is] just get out there and give it our best shot and try to play to the best of our ability."