PORT Adelaide great Kane Cornes says he has "real concerns" about West Coast's long-term future, predicting an "ugly" four or five years ahead after another loss on Saturday.

The Eagles' five-point defeat to North Melbourne, who won last year's wooden spoon, was their 25th loss in their past 27 games, a streak that stretches back to round 20, 2021.

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West Coast's average losing margin in that time is 43.8 points.

Less than five years after its 2018 premiership win, Cornes has doubts that coach Adam Simpson can survive unless the club can turn its fortunes around.

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"I've got some real concerns about the long-term future of West Coast and where they go and how ugly it's going to get in the next four or five years," Cornes told AFL.com.au's The Round So Far on Saturday.

"There's not many coaches that survive a win-loss record that looks like that, even though he's got the premiership and even though there's been some mitigating circumstances with injury and COVID (last year)."

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Chief among Cornes' concerns is that the Eagles' list profile is not that of a rebuilding club.

West Coast's 23 in the opening round was the fifth-oldest of the 18 clubs, behind top-eight contenders Geelong, Richmond, Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs, and the sixth-most experienced in terms of games played, behind the Cats, Tigers, Magpies, Bulldogs and Melbourne.

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While the Eagles did give debuts to youngsters Noah Long, Campbell Chesser and Reuben Ginbey on Saturday, they were without experienced pair Nic Naitanui (32) and Elliott Yeo (29), who are expected to come back into the side when they return to full fitness.

Noah Long in action during West Coast's round one match against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on March 18, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

Against a rebuilding Kangaroos side that was the equal-youngest of all 18 clubs on the weekend, Cornes said the difference was stark.

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"To turn up to Marvel against one of the youngest teams in the competition that is in the first year of a rebuild, with a whole heap of experienced players because they haven't rebuilt, they've gone again with this group, and lose ... it's going to get ugly for Adam Simpson and West Coast,” he said.

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Simpson, who is contracted for another three years, has spoken this year about playing younger players as part of his plan to set the club up for future success, even if that means he's not the man to lead them to its next premiership.

"How long that takes, I'm not sure, so that (preparing for the future) is my personal focus. If it takes one or two years, fantastic, if it takes three or four and I'm not here, that's OK," Simpson told AFL.com.au. 

"It's the bigger picture piece that's really important, that we set our club up for the future and I'm aware of that.

"If it's a rebuild, great, let's call it a rebuild. If it's transition, whatever it is, we've identified that the draft is really important ... the list is going to get younger."