West Coast coach John Worsfold won't use the carrot of a top-four AFL finish to motivate his charges, saying it's not in his nature to use such ploys.

The Eagles sit in fifth spot on the table but will be guaranteed a top-four finish and a double finals chance if they win their remaining four games against Melbourne (away), Essendon (home), Brisbane (away) and Adelaide (home).

Although Worsfold quipped he wanted the Eagles to usurp Collingwood and Geelong by finishing top of the table, the 2006 premiership coach quickly turned serious when he said his team could ill afford to get caught up in the hype surrounding a potential top-four finish.

"It hasn't (been a focus) because, in a month's time, we'll know (where we'll finish), so predicting and looking and wishing doesn't help," Worsfold said on Wednesday.

"What helps the most is how you prepare week in, week out.

"It's pretty much the way I coach - about not looking for gimmicks to wind up in any given week.

"Really we want to be a stable, well-prepared and strong-performing side."

Melbourne, under new coach Todd Viney, copped a 76-point hammering at the hands of Carlton last Saturday, just a week after their 186-point flogging from Geelong.

West Coast are hot favourites to account for the Demons at Etihad Stadium on Sunday but Worsfold said the coaching switch made Melbourne a tad unpredictable.

"It's harder to predict exactly what they will do and where players may line up," Worsfold said.

"They may give them different roles.

"People will throw up a couple of subtle differences that they thought they saw (under Viney last week). Whether that's factual or not is hard to pick. But overall, we've got a good handle on that."

Worsfold declared forward Josh Kennedy (eye) a certain starter against the Demons, while ruckman Dean Cox (hip) is also expected to take his place.

The Eagles will be without injured midfielder Matt Rosa (knee) but defender Eric Mackenzie has recovered from a hamstring complaint and could force Mitch Brown out of the side.

Melbourne will be without James Strauss who broke his leg in sickening fashion against the Blues.

West Coast vice-captain Beau Waters will miss another week with an elbow injury but Worsfold was confident the hard-nut defender would be fit and firing in time for the finals.

"We're just going to give his elbow as much time as possible to get all the soreness out so that he's back close to 100 per cent for the remainder of the year," Worsfold said.

"I expect that this (clash with Melbourne) is the last game he'll want to miss.

"He's training at the moment, but he's not doing any tackling or anything like that."

Since 2008, Waters has undergone reconstructions on both elbows - including three operations on his left - but Worsfold believed the vice-captain's latest injury to his right elbow was just a minor hiccup.

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