West Coast's bid to avoid their first ever wooden spoon received a massive double blow on Sunday, with a 60-point loss to the Western Bulldogs compounded by the news skipper Darren Glass won't feature again this AFL season.

Glass, who hasn't played since round eight due to a niggling groin complaint, will undergo surgery on Monday and be sidelined for around four months.

The 29-year-old's absence has coincided with a massive form slump and the Eagles are now just percentage above last-placed Richmond following five straight losses.

"He (Glass) had a go at getting up, he felt over the last two or three weeks as he built up (his training load) it's just got slightly sore each week," coach John Worsfold said.

"He feels as though if he built up to get ready to play it was just going to be sore again.

"The idea of surgery is to fix it ... we are confident we'll get a good result."

West Coast barely put up a whimper in the 17.17 (119) to 9.5 (59) loss to the Bulldogs as the visitors slammed home seven of the final eight goals.

In the lead-up to the game, Worsfold guaranteed Eagles fans the club wouldn't finish last this year.

But the 2006 premiership coach notably toned down his prediction after Richmond won their third game in four weeks and the Eagles capitulated once again.

"It's a tough one to answer without being negative and without being too positive," Worsfold said.

"But our vision doesn't include a wooden spoon.

"It included building for the future.

"The short-term results, there may be some pain in that for us to get to where we want to get to.

"We are forced to play probably more young players than you'd ever like to in one team.

"If we had Glass and (Daniel) Kerr and (Adam) Selwood and these guys available, we wouldn't have as many kids out there.

"I don't think they (the team) gave up (in the final quarter against the Bulldogs) but I think they were out on their feet.

"They gave everything they had but the weight of the Bulldogs' run got hold of them."

While West Coast were left licking their wounds, the Bulldogs stayed within striking distance of the top-four following their second comprehensive win on the trot, with skipper Brad Johnson making it through the game unscathed in his first AFL outing since round six.

Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade, whose side is just two points adrift of fourth-placed Collingwood, said Shaun Higgins, Callan Ward and Tom Williams would be available for the clash with Hawthorn after the bye.

"We'd love to be another game ahead of where we are but it's such an even season there's going to be teams knocked off that don't expect to lose and that's what's going to happen," Eade said.

Daniel Giansiracusa (23 possessions, two goals, seven score assists), Lindsay Gilbee (32 disposals), Matthew Boyd, Daniel Cross, Jarrod Harbrow and Ryan Hargrave starred against the Eagles.

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