West Coast coach John Worsfold has warned his players they are on their last chance and could end up on the AFL scrapheap if they repeat the lacklustre effort displayed against St Kilda last week.

Worsfold labelled the 97-point drubbing as unacceptable but said he would not wield the axe at the selection table ahead of Sunday's clash with the unbeaten Western Bulldogs at Subiaco Oval.

"I've got confidence that we can put that (loss to St Kilda) down as an aberration at this stage and give the players the benefit of the doubt that they can fight back and they've learnt from it," Worsfold said on Tuesday.

"But if you see that again as a group or from certain individual players, it's putting their careers at risk.

"I've got faith that those guys who played on the weekend are a lot better and a lot tougher than what they showed on the weekend.

"But they've used their chance up, I've got to say that.

"... I can say their immediate position in the team is on the line.

"Now if they're not playing for the rest of the year and they're out of contract at the end of the year then surely they're going to get looked at (being dumped by the club.

"Right at this stage we are looking for the guys who ... have the ability both mentally and physically to take the group forward."

Veteran midfielder Chad Fletcher is the player most under the pump after an indifferent start to the year.

The 29-year-old, who endured a forgettable 2008 campaign, is a prolific ball-winner but continually turns the ball over.

However, Worsfold believed the 2004 All-Australian, who is out of contract at the end of the season, still deserved his place in the side.

"Chad had a very good game against Brisbane, was good against Port Adelaide and was in the 22 poor efforts on the weekend, so he would still be ahead of most players I would say on form this year," he said.

Worsfold believed his side were still a chance to make this year's finals.

And the coach was adamant the club would become a genuine premiership contender once the likes of Nic Naitanui, Tom Swift, Tony Notte, Scott Selwood, Chris Masten, Luke Shuey and Brad Ebert hit their straps.

"I think within our squad we've got the talent to get a team together that's good enough to win a premiership," Worsfold said.

"It's not going to be this year, it's probably not going to be next year and then depending on the rate of development, you are getting into a period where we'll see how good they're going.

"I'm not pleading for anything.

"I still want this group to aim to finish in the eight (this year).

"Let's try to win 11 more games for the year.

"If we only win one more game for the year, I would say that's well and truly below what's acceptable, if we win six or seven more games for the year I would say that's borderline."

Veteran David Wirrpanda, who has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, is expected to return to the line-up this week.

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