WEST Coast is not working hard enough when being challenged in games, but the Eagles still have time to turn that around, according to captain Shannon Hurn.

The Eagles suffered a slip up on Saturday in their quest for a top-four berth after losing to Collingwood by 19 points at the MCG.

They claimed the lead at the start of the last quarter but gave up four consecutive goals to seriously damage their top-four chances.

Hurn said the Eagles just aren't standing up when required.

"Just at the moment, I don't think we've been working hard enough to get the results," Hurn said.

"We understood this year, against good teams, you're always going to get challenged. It's how you keep responding.

"At the moment (sometimes) we respond and sometimes we don't."

The Eagles are set to receive a boost this week with star ruckman Nic Naitanui expected to return after missing the last six weeks following surgery to remove inflamed tendons in both feet.

Hurn said Naitanui's return is important but he is not the sole cure to the Eagles' form.

"Good players always help your team and Nic's been able to do that for the last few years," Hurn said.

"Yes, he can give us some ruck taps. We understand the dominance we can get from that.

"But it's as a collective, as a team. Individually we haven't played as well as we would have liked to do. But then as a team we haven't played anywhere near good enough team footy.

"That's with pressure, tackling, winning the ball, and then sharing the ball, that's with your ball movement.

"We just haven't done that as a team. Yes, individuals make up a team but we just haven't played well as a team."

Hurn said the Eagles' premiership hopes were still alive but only if they improved their form.

"There's four games left, if we start playing some good football I think we're going to be OK and we're going to be able to do some damage," Hurn said.

"But certainly if we keep playing the way we've played it's going to be a tough run home."

The Eagles face Fremantle on Sunday before matches against Greater Western Sydney away, Hawthorn at home and Adelaide away to finish the home and away season.