WEST Coast's yearly requests for fewer six-day breaks during the home and away season seem to be falling "on deaf ears", according to coach Adam Simpson.
The Eagles have consecutive six-day breaks in the next fortnight, either side of a trip to Sydney to face Greater Western Sydney on Saturday. They face Hawthorn at Domain Stadium next Friday night.
The Eagles have eight six-day breaks in total this season - equal-most with Hawthorn, North Melbourne and Richmond.
Seven of the Eagles' eight six-day breaks include travel. In rounds three and four they played consecutive home matches against Fremantle and Richmond with a six-day break in-between.
Simpson said Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett requests the AFL schedule as few six-day breaks as possible for the club ahead of each year's fixture being set out but those requests have been ignored.
"I've only been here, this is my third year, and the 28 years 'Nis' (Nisbett) has been here he's put it in every year," Simpson said.
"It's a tough gig doing that with the travel. I reckon we've had more six-day breaks than any team in the past 10 years. That's not a complaint, that's just a reality - it falls on deaf ears.
"That's just part of footy. We seem to cop a few with the travel as well.
"We're not complaining, we train at night during the weeks in a six-day break and the boys get up for it. We definitely won't use that as an excuse."
Simpson said he has a far greater understanding of the effect regular travel has on his playing group after moving across from Melbourne at the end of 2013.
"I've got more appreciation for the travel and for managing your list as best you can in a tough long season," Simpson said.
"It's a marathon. We do look at those breaks as every club would.
"(It's) important to manage your players well.
"You don't get to train too much, you train a lot less over here. I'm sure Fremantle (is) the same.
"But it's a national competition and we're a bit further away than other teams, so we deal with that.
"It is just part of the game (but) sometimes the draw would be good to go our way a little bit."
The Eagles have won four of the six games they have had following six-day breaks so far this season.
Eagles' requests for longer breaks 'fall on deaf ears'
Requests for fewer six-day breaks 'fall on deaf ears', says Adam Simpson