WEST Coast veteran Dean Cox believes the next five matches, following the bye, will make or break the Eagles' season.
The Eagles currently sit inside the top eight after a nail-biting, come-from-behind win over St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.
Following the week off, West Coast faces Hawthorn, Essendon, Adelaide, Fremantle and the Sydney Swans in a brutal five-week stretch that may define its season.
"We're under no illusion that if you probably drop all of them, then finals are out of the equation," Dean Cox said on Monday.
"I think the players are well aware of what we've got.
"I think as a playing group, we've got to make sure that we know we're playing the best sides in the comp coming up.
"We need to make sure that we put in our best effort.
"People might have written us off but we know if we can get back to our best that this side is good enough."
The Eagles trailed at every change against the Saints on Sunday and only an unlikely second goal from Eric Mackenzie in the last two minutes ensured West Coast avoided it's sixth loss of the year.
Cox felt his side had got out of jail.
"Yeah I think so. We were down and out for most of the game," he said.
"We probably gave the Saints a few opportunities and they gave us a few late.
"It’s just a matter of who capitalises the most."
The six-time All Australian ruckman believes part of West Coast's problems stem from a lack of forward pressure that has been a trademark of the side over the past couple of seasons.
"Certainly our forward pressure has not been to where it’s been in previous years and forward pressure creates turnovers, gives you shots on goal," he said.
"But it also can give you repeat opportunities inside 50s and opportunities. "
Another area of improvement Cox identified was turning ruck dominance in into dominance in clearances.
The ruck duo in Cox and Nic Naitanui had 54 more hit-outs than the Richmond rucks in round 10 and yet the Eagles had four less clearances.
Against St Kilda, the Eagles had 34 more hit-outs and 12 more clearances than the Saints.
"As a ruckman that’s probably an area I look at, my hit-out to advantage percentage," he said.
"I certainly want to make sure that if I get my hands on it, and Nic also, that we want to be able to make a path for a lot for our midfielders, whether that’s working together or different target areas.
"It’s an area we’ll work on this week, but having said that side's really do probably look at shutting players with the dominance, especially that Nic gets in the middle."
