A season seemingly from hell for West Coast fans could soon get darker as the heavy cloud of COVID-19 that has crippled the club in 2022 hovers ominously.

The 1-5 Eagles were lashed after a demoralising 84-point loss away to Port Adelaide on Saturday that momentarily left them last on the AFL ladder, with arch-rivals Fremantle flying high in second spot.

West Coast has used 41 players across the first six rounds, with mature-aged draftee Greg Clark set for an AFL debut against Richmond at Optus Stadium on Friday night, as veteran forward Josh Kennedy revealed more personnel from the club were likely to sidelined through the league’s health and safety protocols.

“There’s been a couple of staff members and other people around the club [identified],” he said.

“Hopefully we don’t lose anyway who is available playing … I’m unsure on who’s gone in so we’ll probably find that out later on today.”

In his regular Tuesday segment on 6PR Breakfast, Kennedy urged Eagles fans accustomed to success to stay the course.

“It’s about sticking fat… there’s always times when you’ve got to ride this part of the rollercoaster,” he told host Gareth Parker.

Press PLAY below to hear JK’s assessment of the issues at West Coast