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The next four rounds could either leave West Coast in a dishevelled heap, or see them finally justify the hype generated by their early-season wins.
Matches against top-eight teams Collingwood, North Melbourne, Hawthorn and Gold Coast will give us a belated read on where the Eagles are at.
West Coast have been the most inscrutable team of the 2014 season. In their pomp they have looked capable of having an impact in September, but their depth and desire have been tested since they marched to a 3-0 record.
At that point many football pundits and fans were bracketing them as a finals certainty and a potential top-four outfit – no great surprise given some of the scintillating football they produced during wins over Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and St Kilda by a combined margin of 183 points.
Then they encountered their first imposing opponents, Geelong, and promptly fell apart. That 75-point pounding away from home prompted a dramatic slide which saw them lose four games on the bounce.
While they were competitive against heavyweight sides Port Adelaide and Fremantle, they lacked the efficiency and ruthlessness needed to edge out quality opposition.
These undesirable traits were laid bare in their capitulation against a floundering Carlton line-up in Round 6. The Eagles were 24 points up midway through the final quarter and should have sauntered to victory. Instead, their questionable competitive spirit again raised its grotesque head and they meekly surrendered, allowing the Blues to thieve the four points.
West Coast’s most recent outing further muddied the waters. Typically a 111-point victory would give cause for significant optimism, but it was registered against a young GWS Giants team who were woefully listless and seemingly uninterested.
Disposing of a shoddy adversary in your home conditions is one thing. Travelling to the MCG to challenge the eighth-placed Collingwood is incomparable.
The Pies suffered a setback on the weekend, losing a match to Adelaide which they were expected to win. They have, however, been in good touch since starting their season with a shockingly lacklustre display against Fremantle. The Pies have bested flag contenders Sydney and North Melbourne and have a strong recent record against the Eagles, claiming four of their last five contests.
West Coast have no excuses as they should field a team which is very close to their best 22. Courageous defender Beau Waters is the only first-choice player missing through injury. Classy forward Mark LeCras will be absent due to his own stupidity, having been suspended for executing a crude high bump on Will Hoskin-Elliott in the match against GWS.
Two major pluses to emerge from that game, however, were the spikes in form of spearhead Josh Kennedy and enigmatic ruckman Nic Naitanui. Both key players had laboured over the opening seven rounds. At their peak they are arguably West Coast’s two most potent players.
Kennedy’s 11 goals against GWS was a fine effort despite the poor opposition. He looked revitalised and will have earned great confidence from his sharpshooting effort in front of goals.
When he is in fine fettle, leading robustly and marking with an iron grip, he straightens up the Eagles’ attacking forays. Both he and Naitanui will need to trouble Collingwood if the Eagles are to cause an upset on Saturday.
Such an unexpected win would likely haul them into the top eight and gift them invaluable momentum ahead of their home game against the Kangaroos.
A loss, particularly if it is due to a familiar lack of commitment, could propel them into a downward spiral. Over the next four rounds, West Coast must prove they can do more than bully weak opponents.