West Coast coach John Worsfold insists the loss of Mark Nicoski to a season-ending hamstring injury will not harm the Eagles' hopes of winning the premiership.
An innocuous training mishap when Nicoski was running laps on Monday forced the club to abandon hopes the veteran forward would return from his hamstring tear on the eve of the finals.
The 29-year-old, who played a critical role in West Coat's run to the 2011 preliminary final by kicking 41 goals, had been on track to return by Round 23 from an injury he suffered in the NAB Cup final.
But Worsfold said the forward line had been performing well without him, functioning effectively enough to make the Eagles the third highest scoring team in the AFL, and could continue to do so come September.
"He's played some great footy and he was part of a wonderful turnaround for the club," he said.
"It's disappointing for Mark but we don't have any expectations of having any extra players available, we're not planning around that.
"It doesn't take our focus away from the job we're here to do. Part of our job is to not be affected."
Nicoski was one of several Eagles on the road back from long-term injury, with Andrew Embley still 2-3 weeks away from coming back from shoulder surgery, Josh Kennedy (ankle) out for at least two more months and Mark LeCras desperately trying to return from knee surgery.
Worsfold said Kennedy was still on track for the finals but conceded the chances of LeCras returning from a pre-season ACL injury were 'very slim'.
Nicoski is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and despite the club's moves to lock up fellow uncontracted players Matt Rosa, Darren Glass and Sam Butler, Worsfold said the luckless forward's future would not be dealt with until season's end.
But West Coast are expected to announce a two-year extension for premiership-winning midfielder Daniel Kerr before they face North Melbourne in Hobart on Saturday.
That would leave Andrew Embley, Quinten Lynch and Nicoski as the Eagles' only remaining free agents.
But Worsfold's greater focus is helping third-placed West Coast keep pace with league leaders Collingwood by beating the in-form Kangaroos.
North have jumped into the eight with three wins on the trot and Worsfold said they were expecting a tough challenge from Brad Scott's men.
"They're a hard-running team, move the ball well," he said.
"We don't expect to shut down all their ball movement but we'll put them under pressure and aim to move the ball well ourselves."
The Eagles are expected to regain Adam Selwood (illness) and Will Schofield (hamstring), while Worsfold said fellow defenders Sam Butler and Ashley Smith were also in contention.