'Has been a tough year': James Hird warns West Coast Eagles rebuild will take 'five or six years'

James Hird has warned the West Coast rebuild is not a "one season" job as the club prepare to conduct an extensive review into all aspects of their football program.

A nightmare season for the Eagles was not enough to dampen the spirits of Andrew McQualter as he reiterated his belief that his team has improved.

It was an unexpected comment to many from the coach, given he had just watched his team claim an unwanted 50-year record of managing just one win in 23 games.

READ MORE: 'Take it on the chin': Norris disaster puts Aussie in box seat

READ MORE: Female player sent off for X-rated referee allegation

THE MOLE: Why I have to admit I was wrong on NRL's oldest man

Better yet, he had just watched the Eagles receive a 67-point thrashing from the Swans in what sealed the club's fate as wooden spooners for the second time in three years.

Although the win-loss record was horrendous, McQualter revealed that internal measurements support his belief that the playing group is improving each week.

"I'm certain that we have gotten better this year," he said.

"I know the win-loss record doesn't tell us that but we've got evidence now that shows what we do, the way we are trying to play and that these guys can really stack up against the best.

"Now it is about getting to work to be able to do it for 120 minutes."

A crucial off-season of developing the Eagles' lists awaits McQualter, who will be looking to capitalise in the draft holding picks 1, 11, 19, 29 and 47.

But according to Hird, there will not be any major improvements in just one year.

"Look, they say it is internal and that they've got measurements ... but the stats we are seeing aren't showing improvements," he said on Nine's Footy Furnace.

"If you bring in those numbers from those important stats which we see on the outside, we haven't seen improvement. It has been a tough year for Andrew McQualter.

"What they've been trying to do is exit some older players, exit some players who I don't think want to be there, even there captain, and bring in those young players.

"I think they are part way through a rebuild and it is a massive rebuild. This is not just a rebuild of one or two seasons. This is a five or six year rebuild that McQualter has taken on.

"Hopefully for his sake, he gets them all the way there but there is a lot of work to be done, particularly around the way they play in the midfield.

"The most important people at that club other than the recruiters are the development (team). Who is developing those young players' fundamentals, their game sense and the way they play their game?

"I don't know who their development people are at the moment but you'd want to make sure that you have the best their to get the best that you can."

Several key players have already revealed what their future with the club will look like beyond 2025, with Harley Reid recommitting for another two seasons.

Meanwhile, co-captain Oscar Allen has elected to explore his options as a free agent.

Jimmy Bartel believes the club needs to embrace the tasks that come with being in a position that is back at square one.

"There almost at square one where all the expansion teams are at. They're coming from a long way back," he said.

"They are going to have a flood of young talent coming through, so if they get the pieces around Andrew McQualter (right) as far as the support, the development, the teaching moments... they've got to chip away and start from winning quarters then into a half.

"It will build up from there. That is how far (back) they're coming from."