However, assistant coach Peter Sumich is bullish on his team’s chance against the Bombers.
"We think they’re all winnable, I know a lot of people might think that’s a bit off the mark, but we thought we could beat Collingwood after a great game against Adelaide and we think we can beat Essendon," Sumich said before training at Junction Oval on Thursday.
"Brauny’s got a sore knee and we had it really penciled in this game, he’s been fighting it for a number of weeks, we rested him and he’ll be back next week.
"Chad Fletcher had a [sore] back early in the year, but it came good and he’s just stiffened up a fair bit now and he was another one we thought [could do without] the plane trip and he’ll be right next week against Geelong.
"Fletcher’s form has been great and Braun’s, I think, over the last two weeks has picked right up, so body-wise if they were 100 percent to go they would be here, but their bodies are just a little bit off."
West Coast has scored just four more points than the last-placed Demons this season, but Sumich confirmed the attack will be bolstered by the return of young forward Mark LeCras from a groin injury that has sidelined him since round one.
But Ashley Hansen, earmarked early in the week to return, is still unavailable with his presence sorely missed in the sputtering forward line.
"I think it’s got a lot to do with our personnel rotating through there, we’ve had a lot of players in there and we haven’t been settled," Sumich said.
"Of course our midfield group isn’t as it was a year or two ago, so they’re learning the caper too and hopefully they can start hitting the scoreboard as well."
Sumich maintained the fierce West Coast-Essendon rivalry of the Mick Malthouse-Kevin Sheedy era had mellowed with John Worsfold keen for this group to make their own history, but said he was looking forward to a good contest nonetheless.
"They’ve got a similar side to us, but they’ve got a very good forward line still," he said.
“I still think Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas are great players and on their day can kick a winning score. Some of their younger kids have been great this year and they’ve had their ups and downs the same as us.
"It’s going to be actually a great game in my opinion because it will be interesting to see which side gets on top early and whether the other side can kick a couple of goals and get back into the game."
