WEST Coast leader Charlie Thomas is the youngest AFLW skipper ever, and along with co-captain Bella Lewis, the pair have been given some handy confidants to help them on their way.

The Eagles have linked up defender Thomas, 21, with premiership captain and current men's development coach Shannon Hurn, while 22-year-old Lewis' mentor is Hurn's successor Luke Shuey, now an assistant coach with the men's side.

"Speaking of one club, they've done that really well. I've partnered up with 'Bunga', Shannon Hurn, who does a bit of work around the club," Thomas told AFL.com.au.

"I can bounce ideas off him, which is really helpful – not only from a leadership perspective, but also being a premiership captain who played down in the backline."

Sitting alongside Thomas in a meeting room amid West Coast's hulking Mineral Resources Park training base, Lewis said Shuey had been a strong support already.

"It's been great to also bounce ideas off him, as well as midfield work. They've created a mentorship program, 'Westy' (vice-captain Mikayla Western) has got someone as well, the head coach of the WAFL (Kyal Horsley).

"I like that they've thought about it meticulously, not just partnering up with someone, but someone who has had a role similar to us. They really do care about it, and wanted to put it in place because we're so young."

West Coast made good strides in its first season under Daisy Pearce, winning three games in the first month of the season, and a total of four victories was its best ever result, but five straight losses to round out the year left a slightly sour taste.

"Obviously there's been a changing of the guard with Charlie and I stepping up, but the pre-season as a whole has been really good. As a group, I think we've made more steps in our game play, what we're doing, and I think this is the second year with 'Dais', and continuity in our playing list as well," Lewis said.

"We talk about the second-to-fourth years, and I think when they start to really come into their own and know how to set standards for themselves and how to train really well, I think that's when you start to see a bit more success in the group.

"I think at the moment, those are the girls that are standing out and driving the standards."

Thomas and Lewis have taken over from inaugural West Coast captain Emma Swanson, who stepped aside earlier this year due to growing off-field commitments. The veteran defender still works full-time as a firefighter, and partner and former Eagle Andrea Gilmore recently gave birth to the family's first child, Joey.

Inaugural Sydney captain Lauren Szigeti was marginally younger than Lewis when appointed, while Thomas is the new record-holder as youngest skipper.

"I'm obviously super excited and honoured that the girls chose Bella and I to lead the football club, and it's just a massive honour," Thomas said.

"But I'm feeling pretty chill about it. I feel like we're in this position because of what we've done, and we don't necessarily have to change too much about the way we go about it.

"Just a few extra meetings and a bit of a pre-game chat, maybe flip the coin, but yeah, just super stoked. I'm looking forward to doing that with Bella. I think our leadership styles really complement each other."

West Coast will be pushing for its first AFLW finals appearance in its seventh season in the competition, with Lewis saying that last year provided some belief for the playing group.

"We've got these five new girls that have come in as first-years, and I reckon every year you probably can have two or three that could play – all five of these girls can put their hand up, and they've been driving the standards really well," she said.

"So a lot of the time it's a mix of us getting a little bit older and that new energy. We've got the talent, no doubt we have the talent, and we've got the culture and the group of girls.

"Previously, I reckon, if I'm being completely honest, we'd look at the calendar and go, 'That's a winnable game, that's a winnable game'. And you'd see that in the mindset and how we would play.

"Then 'Dais' comes in with this mindset, and you could ask us every week, and we wouldn't know who we were versing in the next two weeks. So that's that real process-driven mindset that all the coaches have drilled into us, that I think this formula drives you towards finals."