Grand finals are meant to be the stuff of dreams, but what about the players who have a nightmare?

West Coast duo Elliot Yeo and Jack Darling know all too well what it's like to flop on the big stage - and cop the fallout from it afterwards.

The Eagles had few winners in their 46-point loss to Hawthorn in the 2015 decider but the two players who copped the most heat in the aftermath were Yeo and Darling.

Yeo tallied just five disposals, two tackles, and one goal for the match.

Darling finished with 1.1 from his 10 disposals. His third-quarter falcon became one of the biggest talking points of the match.

The Hawks were cruising at 44 points up in the second term. But by the 10-minute mark of the third, the deficit was just 25 points as West Coast launched another forward surge.

Darling, looking into the sun, dropped what should have been an easy chest mark, with the ball hitting his chin before spilling away.

He picked up the crumbs, fumbled it through his legs, and could only watch on in horror as the Hawks swept the ball up the field to score a goal.

It proved to be the breaking point for West Coast.

But it hasn't broken Darling.

His performances in big games had been questioned up until this year.

The moment when he shirked a mark in the elimination final loss to the Bulldogs last year didn't help his cause.

But in last week's win over Port Adelaide, Darling proved he could stand up when it mattered most, as well as put his body on the line.

West Coast needed to make a fast start away from home, and it was Darling who produced the goods - booting the first two goals of the match.

His first goal came when he out-marked three Port players on the goal line.

Darling finished the game with three goals and seven tackles to his name, throwing himself at numerous contests.

He said questions about his ability in big games didn't haunt him heading into this finals series.

"Personally, I didn't have any demons," Darling says.

"In my first couple of years, I had quite good finals series.

"Then I had just a few bad moments. But it wasn't necessarily bad games - just a few bad moments."

Yeo is the first to admit he had a shocker in the 2015 grand final.

And he knows he wasn't anywhere near his best during all of last season.

Injuries and a couple of bouts of tonsillitis meant Yeo found it hard to get going in 2016.

But he has made up for lost time this year, producing his finest season to win All-Australian selection.

His form was so hot at the start of the year, he even shot into Brownlow Medal contention.

"A fair few of my mates were taking the piss. I just had to stay as level headed as possible," Yeo says with a chuckle.

Yeo's strong marking and intercept abilities have proven to be a vital weapon in defence this season.

The 23-year-old was solid in last week's win over Port, and looms as a key figure in Saturday night's semi-final with GWS at Spotless Stadium, where he is set to get the job on Toby Greene.

Yeo, who has drawn comparisons with Fremantle superstar Nat Fyfe, is happy with the way he has rebounded this year.

But he will never be truly satisfied until he gets back onto the grand final stage.

"It's one of those ones that lingers deep down. It always will," Yeo says of the 2015 grand final loss.

"You speak to all the players who have lost a grand final, like Mark Nicoski - he still thinks about it here and there.

"It's one of those ones that will always still be there.

"But hopefully throughout my football career I'll be fortunate enough to get into a grand final again, and hopefully I'll play a lot better this time."

If West Coast win on Saturday, they will take on Richmond in a preliminary final at the MCG.

It's a big stage both Darling and Yeo will embrace.

AAP