Sure, premierships are tough to win.

Indeed, established clubs St Kilda and Western Bulldogs have only ever won a single flag each, while Fremantle is still without a cup in the modern professional AFL era.

It stands out like a beacon though that the West Coast outfit of a decade ago had the capacity to win more premierships.

A powerful on-ball battery headed by athletic ruck star Dean Cox, Chris Judd, Ben Cousins and Daniel Kerr rivalled any on-ball division in the game's history.

A miserly defence was marshalled and brilliantly led by eventual club captain and three-times fairest-and-best winner Darren Glass, flanked by versatile swingman Adam Hunter, dashing back-pocket David Wirrpanda and a then emerging strongman Beau Waters.

Around goals, burly key forward Quinten Lynch bagged 65 majors in the 2006 premiership outfit and despite taking the flag by just one point over Sydney in another epic installment of their renowned rivalry, more finals glory beckoned for an Eagles side at the peak of its powers.

Substantial depth in explosive midfield power was supplied by All-Australian follower Chad Fletcher, Norm Smith medallist Andrew Embley, Michael Braun and all-rounders Tyson Stenglein and Adam Selwood.

Across seven titanic confrontations with Sydney through 2005-07 a total of only 25 points separated them, with six of those clashes spread by just 13 points.

Prospects of West Coast continuing any reign of supremacy started crumbling with off-field personal issues within the Eagles playing unit, most notably the now decade-long and very public battle for Cousins with drug addiction.

There were internal divisions within critical playing components in an unbroken run of six seasons in finals under coach John Worsfold.

Judd left at the end of 2007, when the then reigning premiers were bundled from their defence with straight sets finals losses to Port Adelaide on the road and then a historic overtime defeat from Collingwood in Perth.

Cousins' personal demons flared early into the summer after Judd's departure and one of the Eagles greatest ever players was deregistered by the AFL for the 2008 season.

West Coast tumbled to 15th and missed finals for three straight seasons between 2008-10.

Despite the failure to win another flag after two straight grand final showdowns with the Swans, what was achieved during Worsfold's era still elevates somewhere in the region of a third of that West Coast team into any "best-ever" Eagles unit.

A vast majority of that finest combination would have to come from the early 1990s.

It would take some significantly sustained performances to eventually dethrone the likes of Worsfold, key defensive great Glen Jakovich and the silky smooth Guy McKenna as the walk-up half-back line.

The same probably applies for decades to come across the centre with 1992 Norm Smith medallist Peter Matera, Dean Kemp who took the medal as grand final best-afield two years later and then the tireless Chris Mainwaring.

There would be up to four Eagles "best" that didn't have a premiership-day outing.

If gifted small forward Phil Matera had played in 2005 it may well have been the difference between winning and losing.

Matera was nursing a groin strain and pressed for selection but was a late withdrawal as Worsfold went with taller forward options in ruck pair Michael Gardiner and Mark Seaby, as well as Travis Gaspar.

Matera unexpectedly retired in the summer following his selection controversy, with 389 goals from his 179 outings.

His forward-pocket spot could be heavily debated with current small goal-shark Mark LeCras, who is a club champion and All-Australian from 2010  - feats Matera did not accomplish despite his danger as a sharking and crumbing opportunist.

There should be no argument with any choice of front-line key forward targets with dual premiership spearhead Peter Sumich and current leading scoring source Josh Kennedy.

Kennedy's flexibility to press higher up field to gather important scoring-involvements makes the league's reigning Coleman medallist an ideal centre half-forward in the "best" make-up.

Kennedy has already booted more than 400 goals from his 156 Eagles appearances and on course to eventually pass the club-record 514 majors that Sumich bagged in his 150 engagements.

An enigmatic Ashley McIntosh sneaks into a back-pocket ahead of another versatile strong key defensive option Michael Brennan.

Kim Hagdorn's best ever Eagles team

Backs: Ashley McIntosh, Darren Glass, David Wirrpanda.

Half-backs: John Worsfold, Glen Jakovich, Guy McKenna.

Centres: Peter Matera, Dean Kemp, Chris Mainwaring.

Half-forwards: Daniel Kerr, Josh Kennedy, Chris Lewis.

Forwards: Phil Matera, Peter Sumich, Brett Heady.

Ruck: Dean Cox, Chris Judd, Ben Cousins.

Interchange: Matt Priddis, Andrew Embley, Michael Gardiner, Dwayne Lamb.

Near-misses: Mark LeCras, Don Pyke, Drew Banfield.