Fremantle coach Mark Harvey has scoffed at talk his team should easily defeat West Coast on Sunday, declaring the western derby a 50-50 AFL contest.

The Dockers sit equal top of the table after a 4-1 start to the season while the Eagles are struggling at the other end of the ladder with just one win from five matches.

Fremantle have been installed as early $1.45 favourites for the match but Harvey was having none of it after watching the Dockers struggle at times in a scrappy 39-point victory over last-placed Richmond on Sunday.

"Doesn't matter in a derby," Harvey said of his team's favouritism.

"Betting doesn't decide whether you're favourites or not, it's got nothing to do with the game.

"Irrespective of we're 4-1 and the Eagles are the other way around, it does not matter in derbies and that's how we'll treat it.

"It's their home ground, they'll have their home crowd ... so it's not easy, no game's easy."

Harvey said midfielder Rhys Palmer, who gathered 31 possessions, laid five tackles and kicked two goals in the WAFL in his fifth hit-out since returning from a knee injury, was again no certainty to be recalled to the senior side.

"He's pressing for selection and like he did this week it was quite close," Harvey said.

"(We are) just making sure he's right.

"Plus you have to earn a spot now.

"This team has progressed a lot since two years ago when Rhys went through what he did (in winning the 2008 Rising Star award).

"So he knows that and is working hard and playing well at WAFL level.

"He'll get a look at some stage."

Harvey rated Nick Suban a 50-50 chance to return from an ankle injury but forward Des Headland will spend at least another week on the sidelines with a knee injury.

West Coast were woeful in their 52-point loss to Sydney on Saturday and captain Darren Glass was at a loss to explain the team's shoddy disposal of the ball.

"Look that's the million dollar question," Glass said.

"Some of it's decision making, so we're not picking out the easiest option, so there's a few factors at play.

"I'd say that the majority of the players were well below their best so regardless of experience or age, the majority of us need to improve on (Saturday's) performance."

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