WEST Coast could look to organise practice matches against displaced AFL opponents as soon as this weekend after travelling close to a full squad to Melbourne.
Star forward Liam Ryan was the notable omission from the Eagles' travelling squad on Tuesday, with West Coast deciding to give the All Australian a week at home with his family after he was suspended for rough conduct.
Coach Adam Simpson said the "scrimmage" matches of 2020 could return over the coming weeks, particularly for those clubs who have been sent to Melbourne without VFL affiliations.
"If we are here for a bit longer we will definitely look to play some other sides in a scrimmage format," Simpson said on Thursday.
"A lot of them have got VFL expectations as well … (but) Freo don't have a VFL alliance and obviously Adelaide and Port Adelaide.
"We've done it in the past in Queensland as well, so we'll see how we go, whether it's this weekend or the next."
Simpson said the Eagles would tackle the issue of flying Ryan into Melbourne next week if their stay in Melbourne was extended.
Western Australia recorded no new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 overnight on Wednesday, with the Perth and Peel region lockdown scheduled to end at 12.01am AWST on Saturday.
The Eagles are due to host North Melbourne at Optus Stadium in round 17 and would hope to return to Perth for that match.
Simpson said the team would only focus on the immediate challenge of taking on Sydney at GMHBA Stadium on Sunday, however, and would not plan beyond that until given advice from government authorities and the AFL.
"We'll just embrace what's in front of us here," he said.
"The fact we've been in this situation before really helps. It feels like we're back on the bike a little bit.
"We learnt some lessons from past experiences, but this adventure is a little bit different. There's a bit more freedom around town as well … it's really not that bad."
The Eagles will train in Melbourne at Caulfield Grammar and travel to Geelong on game day without a training session on GMHBA Stadium.
Simpson said the midfield was expected to respond after being beaten comprehensively by the Western Bulldogs in round 15, losing the clearances (-15) and contested possessions (-30) by season-high margins.
"A lot of those guys are experienced players who we expect more from," he said.
"I wouldn't have thought we'd jump to too many conclusions too quickly, but the expectation is we play better this week.
"We're not isolating just the midfield. I think across the board we were outplayed for most of the day and we were lucky to be thereabouts halfway through the third quarter.
"The actions need to be the evidence, not the discussions."
