COACH Adam Simpson has declared he will be with West Coast "as long as the club wants me" as the Eagles commit to a Draft-led "rebuild" in the wake of their horror start to the season.  

Chairman Russell Gibbs wrote to members on Friday afternoon, supporting Simpson and chief executive Trevor Nisbett and insisting the club was "realistic" about the need to rebuild its list.

Simpson is contracted until the end of 2024 but there has been speculation he could join a coaching merry-go-round at the end of the season and be chased by former club North Melbourne.

The 46-year-old insisted on Friday he was committed for the long haul and ready to help rebuild the club he led to the 2018 premiership.

"I’m here for as long as the club wants me, and I’m actually excited about what we can do in the future," Simpson said.  

"Obviously it looks pretty dire at the moment, but that’s all part of it. That’s part of leading and being resilient … the other stuff, that comes with the job."

Friday's letter to members marked the first time the Eagles have publicly recognised the need to rebuild, having previously labelled their list as one that is in "transition".

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Gibbs defended chief executive Nisbett amid calls for change at the top and said the experienced administrator had "done a wonderful job leading our club through one of the most difficult periods in the history of the AFL".

"We also have an excellent coach in Adam Simpson (and) along with his assistants, support staff and players, I can assure you that they are both realistic about what needs to be done," Gibbs wrote.

"(They) are also determined to work extremely hard to ensure our team is set up for sustained future success. This will include the rebuild of our list with a heavy focus on the AFL draft."

The declaration comes as the Eagles prepare to take a decimated team into their toughest challenge of a horror season, meeting undefeated ladder leader Melbourne at Optus Stadium on Sunday.

Late-week injuries to premiership captain Shannon Hurn (calf) and senior midfielder Andrew Gaff (quad) have left the Eagles with as few as 23 available players to choose from, with the club forced to draw on its WAFL top-up pool for the second straight week.

The injury list has flared to include 17 players, with Simpson revealing premiership forward Willie Rioli would also miss the next six weeks with a hamstring injury.   

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The challenge against Melbourne appears insurmountable, but Simpson said the team was "not feeling sorry" for itself.   

"We'll learn a lot again. Last week was pretty daunting as well and I thought they (the players) were up for the challenge," he said.

"So trying to play a style that is competitive and can win is our priority.  

"We've just got to stay resilient. We'll find out a lot about ourselves as a club and who's up for the fight."

The Eagles' circumstances this season have seen a new game plan abandoned to an extent, Simpson said, as being as competitive as possible takes priority.

"We’re not turning up our toes, we want to come in for a good experience and have a crack and see what we can do," the coach said.

"It will be good learning experience for them, but we want to stay on the front foot. 

"Trying to come in with some positivity and growth, that’s the starting point.