West Coast coach John Worsfold has admitted the chances of leading the Eagles to a seventh successive finals campaign are now a distant goal - and the bookies wholeheartedly agree.

Having started at odds of $8.50 to win the flag in 2008, the beleaguered Eagles are now rated as a $101 chance for the premiership, and $5 just to make the competition's top eight after their equal worst start in their AFL history.

And with the unbeaten Western Bulldogs to come this weekend - as well as two meetings with Hawthorn and Geelong to come this year - Worsfold admitted his record of reaching the finals every year since taking over as Eagles coach in 2002 was under threat.

"It is going to be tough for us, and we need to be playing better. But we are going to work hard and try and start by winning this week," Worsfold told Fairfax radio.

"Finals footy is a distant goal, we have got some short term goals we are aiming to achieve. If we can achieve them, that can become a possibility for us."

Despite flogging Rodney Eade's side by 87 points in the corresponding fixture last year, the Eagles sit at $4 to win at Telstra Dome on Saturday - with only Melbourne shorter odds to win the AFL's wooden spoon this year.

But Worsfold said breaking the Eagles' four-game losing streak was the first and most important step in a possible recovery.

"If you string a few games together you do end up right back in the mix. Winning is the key for us this week," Worsfold said.

More selection dilemmas loom following the loss to Port Adelaide, with Michael Braun, Chad Fletcher and Mark Nicoski all in the firing line.

And despite averaging just over ten goals a game, forward Josh Kennedy - the man who came the other way from Carlton in the Chris Judd trade - may have to wait even longer to get his chance.

Worsfold still appears reluctant to blood Kennedy, saying his form with East Fremantle in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) has not been sensational.

"We want to see Josh come into the AFL in really good form, and his form has been steady without being outstanding (seven goals in three games)," Worsfold said.

"He struggled a little bit with his last start with East Fremantle, but finished the game strongly.

"Generally we will bring them in when they are in really good form, unless the guys who are already there are really struggling."

However, Worsfold also he was confident star midfielder Daniel Kerr would be able to lift his involvement, after struggling to come to terms with close opposition attention in the absence of Ben Cousins and Chris Judd.

"Whoever tries to block for Kerr, their opponent just waits for him - so Kerry might bounce off one, and runs straight into another player," Worsfold said.

"That is the value that teams are putting on him, they are prepared to have three players sit off their opponents at different times.

"I am confident Kerry, regardless of all the attention he is going to get, is going to be able to play good footy for us."

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