The withdrawal of star forward Liam Ryan from the West Coast Eagles team to play Gold Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday under AFL Health and Safety Protocols, leaves the potential for an extraordinary debut.
Ryan has been in isolation for much of this week and is unable to take his place for the season opener, meaning the Eagles have delved into the Covid Contingency List of players sooner than any other club.
Claremont midfielder Declan Mountford has been named as an emergency after just one training session with the Eagles on Thursday. That leaves him on the door step of a remarkable opportunity.
The club also confirmed that former Richmond wingman Patrick Naish would join Hugh Dixon, Brady Hough and Sam Petrevski-Seton in making their West Coast debut. Hough was selection #31 in last year’s draft, Petrevski-Seton was traded into the club from Carlton and Dixon is a former Fremantle player who impressed in the late stages of pre-season.
Dixon and Naish have been on the club’s list for less than a fortnight after being granted a second chance courtesy of the supplemental selection period.
Mountford is part of a group of 20 players who remain with their WAFL clubs, but can be elevated to AFL ranks should their designated club – in this instance West Coast – require support. He has been named on the emergency list with young big men Callum Jamieson and Jack Williams as well as young forward Isiah Winder.
One of those players will be the medical sub, which will be announced on game day.
Mountford is no stranger to AFL level, having played 12 games for North Melbourne in 2017 and 2018 before being de-listed. He made his debut for the Roos against the Eagles in round one, 2017.
