Through adversity comes opportunity and the latest player to receive an unexpected chance at AFL level is South Fremantle midfielder Jake Florenca.

The experienced Florenca, part of the West Coast Eagles’ Covid Contingency List and long-time Eagles supporter, may not have anticipated a call up to football’s highest level when he accepted an offer to join that squad.

He was happy enough doing his thing – and do it well with the Bulldogs – before a late night phone call on Wednesday that set the wheels in motion for a Gabba debut against Brisbane tomorrow night.

In doing so, after being presented with his guernsey from 2006 premiership defender Brett Jones, he will now join four others from the WAFL to play senior football with the Eagles this season. Declan Mountford played against original AFL club, North Melbourne, in round two.

Mountford is listed as an emergency for this match and along with East Perth hard nut Angus Schumacher and WAFL Eagles utility player Logan Young was at the Gabba for the captain’s this afternoon.

They will vie with tall utility player Hugh Dixon for the role as the emergency sub.

Florenca is one of seven inclusions for this daunting challenge against the team sitting second on the ladder, with key defender Tom Barrass the highest profile of those players returning. He was a late withdrawal last week with a tight hamstring.

Also added are young ruckman-forward Callum Jamieson, who made his debut in that round two battle against the Roos, experienced defender Josh Rotham, half-back Luke Foley and small forwards Jamaine Jones and Isaiah Winder.

With a spate of injuries and players going into AFL Health and Safety Protocols, the club was forced to go to its supplementary pool to field a team.

The Eagles lost captain Luke Shuey and Willie Rioli to hamstring strains, midfielder Xavier O’Neill (knee), left out Dixon in favour of Jamieson and could not select Jackson Nelson, Alex Witherdon, Greg Clark or Luke Strnadica.