The West Coast Eagles will have a seven-day break between their penultimate match of the season against St Kilda on Thursday and final qualifying match against North Melbourne.

After having to cram five games into 19 days – including a relocation to the Gold Coast – the players and staff will appreciate the opportunity to reset after the Saints clash at the Gabba.

The Eagles will finish this truncated campaign against the Kangaroos at Metricon Stadium on Thursday, September 17 at 7.10pm.

That means the club’s travel party will return to Perth immediately after the conclusion to the qualifying rounds, to either review the year or take a brief hiatus before launching into a finals series.

The club will again apply for exemptions from the State Government, seeking similar quarantine conditions to those that were granted upon returning from the Queensland hub earlier in the season. 

The Eagles will be looking to win both games to firstly lock down a position in the finals series and to then push as high inside the top eight as possible, and to give themselves the chance of earning a home final.