Dean Cox says Saturday night's win over Melbourne might have been his last AFL game had West Coast's finals prospects been done and dusted, however he's no guarantee to play next week against Gold Coast.

The Eagles’ games record holder played his 290th AFL match on Saturday night and it had been billed as his final game at Patersons Stadium after he announced he would retire at season's end last month.

Cox was chaired off Patersons Stadium following the 66-point win over the Demons and he revealed that it could have been his last game if the Eagles weren't still in the finals race.

"Yeah, possibly," Cox said.

"We're still alive."

Neither Cox, nor his coach Adam Simpson could confirm whether the six-time All Australian would play against Gold Coast next week.

"I'm not sure," Cox said.

"That's something we'll speak about."

The Eagles did not play three ruckmen on Saturday night despite naming Cox, Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett on Thursday. The Eagles are 1-4 this season when all three men have played together.

Naitanui was withdrawn with Achilles soreness and replaced by small defender Adam Carter.

Cox said playing the three ruckmen together can work depending on the opponents, but it also can be fatal.


"I think it's just purely on how the other side matches up," Cox said.

"The state of the game has a lot of baring on it, but at times Scotty has played permanent forward when we've played the three rucks, so it gives you flexibility. But at times it can be your Achilles heel."

Simpson said Naitanui was a big chance to return next week. He did not comment on whether two rucks was a better set-up than three but he said the Eagles' size was irrelevant if they deliver the kind of defensive pressure they displayed against Melbourne.

"I haven't really had a good look at how it all panned out," Simpson said.

"Our forwards did put a lot of good pressure on tonight, I thought.

"A lot of the good forward-half turn overs we created were (Jamie) Cripps, (Patrick) McGinnity and (Josh) Hill.

"But also our talls can do it as well. If they turn up with that sort of attitude, it doesn't matter how big you are."