Eagles' shocking run on the road is mental: Woosha

The West Australian June 30, 2009, 12:45 pm

West Coast coach John Worsfold has conceded his side's inability to win on the road is a mental issue.

Speaking ahead of the Eagles' clash with bottom-placed Melbourne at the MCG, Worsfold said the "universal trend" of losses for teams on the road across a variety of sports could not be a physical issue.

West Coast have failed to secure victory in their past 17 interstate fixtures, a run of losses that extends back to round 21, 2007. But they will still start favourites against the 1-12 Demons on Saturday.

"Put it this way, it can't be physical. The travel side of it you have to take into account but I would expect that it's more mental than the physical side," Worsfold said.

"We've experimented a lot and we've done research on (travelling).

"When we were a young club we researched what older teams than us had done in their travels around the world. All that's been done and we're clear where we sit with it all."

Worsfold said the key to the Eagles winning interstate was maintaining the sort of intensity they regularly display at home, including last Saturday's win over reigning premiers Hawthorn at Subiaco.

"It has to be being even more relentless in our preparation to go out and play with the same intensity that we do at home," Worsfold said.

"But they're things that we always address whether it's home versus away or whether it's having lapses in games for quarters, all those things come into it.

"So they're all things that we'll address this week, as we do every week."

Melbourne are struggling at the foot of the ladder having won just one game this year and have battled in recent years, winning just eight of their 57 games since 2006.

But Worsfold expressed understanding of his rivals' direction as a club, having been through a similar process himself.

"They're struggling in terms of wins and losses but I think they've got a very clear focus on what they're working towards as well," Worsfold said.

"They're playing a lot of talented young players and, unfortunately, that does mean they'll go through some hard times where those kids lose confidence at times or they get tired.

"We've been in that boat, we're still in the same sort of boat, so I understand where they're coming from."

PERTH SHAYNE HOPE