The running to replace West Coast premiership coach Adam Simpson has narrowed in the month and change since his Eagles departure, with top contenders pulling out of the race while an in-house name is emerging as a favoured prospect.
Simpson's immediate replacement, caretaker coach Jarrad Schofield, has seen his stocks grow since taking the reins in Round 18 - winning the past two games and looking competitive in two defeats to draw out a 2-3 record as interim.
The caretaker seat has managed to convince search committees in the past but has often gone unrewarded in the long haul, with the likes of Brett Ratten (St Kilda), Rhyce Shaw (North Melbourne) and David Teague (Carlton) failing to see past 70 games in the senior role once appointed.
But the player buy-in from the Eagles' stint so far under Schofield won't go unnoticed, with the past fortnight in particular certainly giving CEO Don Pyke something to consider as West Coast manoeuvres through interviews with external candidates.
The chance to ruffle the feathers of finals hopefuls Carlton and Geelong over the final two rounds will add to the situation surrounding Schofield's running, which has been buoyed by the number of potential Eagles targets who have turned down the chance to pursue the coaching vacancy.
None were a bigger blow than club great Dean Cox's decision to stay with Sydney for the foreseeable future, with the highly-rated Swans assistant knocking back the Eagles' advances to remain in the Harbour City.
A former West Coast assistant himself, the club's 290-gamer shaped as a fitting coach on the rise to lead the Eagles through the next stages of their list rebuild, bringing seven years of experience working under arguably the game's best current coach in John Longmire.
The pool of names shrunk further when another ex-Eagle in Jaymie Graham confirmed he'd prefer to remain across town with Fremantle as their forwards coach, with the long-serving assistant another who looks ready to take the next step.
The same can be said of Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley's right-hand man Josh Carr, who is viewed as the future man to lead at Alberton once his mentor eventually steps aside. Carr was quick to put a line through his chance of pursuing the West Coast job, with a potential succession plan at his current club perhaps in place, much like Cox at the Swans.
The Eagles haven't placed all of their eggs in the untried coaching market, with former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley revealing he was pursued to potentially take part in the process, however turned down the opportunity to step back into a senior coaching role.
Hinkley was quick to shoot down speculation of his name being linked to the job.
The list of candidates who have distanced themselves from the vacancy hasn't left the Perth powerhouse club to only view Schofield as a live option, with another premiership player in Ash Hansen viewed as one of the best assistants across the competition.
Having spent a decade in the coaches' box, claiming a VFL premiership as senior coach of Footscray before parting the Kennel for Carlton where he currently works as a senior assistant, Hansen has continued to add great experience to his CV at the top level while waiting for his chance to take the next step.
The Blues coach is joined by GWS assistant Brett Montgomery as a leading chance to succeed Simpson, with Schofield's 2004 premiership teammate having 15 years of coaching experience under his belt to bring a wealth of knowledge to the Eagles.
Montgomery has been a key piece in the Giants' rise under senior coach Adam Kingsley over the past two seasons, with the former Power pair turning the AFL's youngest club back into premiership contenders soon after getting their feet under the desk.
Like Montgomery and Hansen, another former Western Bulldogs assistant in Daniel Giansiracusa could be considered for the West Coast position, with the Dogs great named the AFLCA's Assistant Coach of the Year in 2020.
The same title was claimed by Montgomery a decade ago, while recent winners Troy Chaplin and James Rahilly would be viable targets for the Eagles but are outside chances at this point in time.
West Coast will need to come to a decision with some haste given the multitude of critical list decisions that the club finds itself in the middle of. The expected departure of premiership backman Tom Barrass might be in writing by the time the Eagles appoint their next senior coach.
The incoming coach would also have decisions to make on the futures of senior assets in Liam Ryan and Jack Darling, with their names being raised as potential trade bait. That decision might come easier to a coach arriving from elsewhere, whereas Schofield could be in favour of keeping his more experienced contingent in favour of draft capital given their relationship.
The club's next coach could have major sway in how the Eagles' own trade targets make up their minds over the coming weeks also, with Richmond pairing Liam Baker and Jack Graham tied to West Coast.
The recent addition of former Tigers list manager Matt Clarke is sure to strengthen any pursuit of the premiership duo, but decisions overall will be left to tread water before a new coach is officially named.
The Eagles' search committee may mull what candidate could have the biggest impact on young star Harley Reid, whether that be his role in the team for the coming years or, perhaps more importantly, his chances of remaining in the royal blue and gold.
Cutting ties with Schofield could prove costly if the pair's relationship has proven to grow strong, while Schofield may need to weigh up his own future at West Coast should he not be successful in the job hunt.
The appointed coach will want to get the club's 2025 campaign off on the right foot to potentially support the club's hopes of retaining their No.1 draft selection beyond his current contract.
