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Already impacted heavily, Queensland-hub-based West Coast are viewing a last-minute change to their AFL schedule as just another COVID-19 challenge.

The AFL's decision to change West Coast's opponents for round five this week is just another bump in the road in a challenging 2020 season for the Eagles.

Victoria's increasingly worrying COVID-19 outbreak has led to the Queensland government placing new restrictions on travellers from the southern state and those who may be in contact with them.

In response the AFL has cancelled Thursday's proposed fixture between the Eagles and Richmond on the Gold Coast.

Instead West Coast will now take on Sydney at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.

Having been forced into a Queensland Hub for the past three weeks - where they have lost matches to Gold Coast, Brisbane and Port Adelaide - the Eagles have taken a philosophical approach to the latest disruption to their campaign.

"It's unusual but it's an unusual year," the club's football manager Craig Vozzo said.

"From our club-specific position, we've got to just be flexible.

"We've got to be agile, we've got to roll with the punches. And we've got to get better on field."

The Eagles are set to play the Swans and then have one more match in their Queensland Hub before returning to Perth.

With Victoria recording a spike of new coronavirus cases in the past week, Vozzo said it was getting close to a time when the league's Victorian clubs may have to just leave the state and enter hubs to ensure the competition can continue.

"They're going to have to make some pretty strong decisions in the best interests of everybody and the continuation of the competition," he said.

"Is it time? It's probably close to thinking along those lines, I would have thought.

"No doubt they've (AFL) got all the facts, I haven't, and they'll make the right decision for the league."

As for their rescheduled fixture, Vozzo believes it may well turn out to be a positive for the besieged Eagles, who are 1-3 after their disastrous Hub form.

"It's probably a good thing in that we had a good solid recovery session yesterday because we were into a five-day break," he said.

"We accelerated what we normally do and we're able to make adjustments from this morning.

"Our oppo guys have been preparing for Richmond and so have our coaches, but that's OK. We change course and we start preparing for Sydney."