West Coast’s next generation knocking on the selection door are set to receive opportunities with several experienced Eagles facing time on the sidelines.
Following a tough RAC Derby, the Eagles are resetting their sights on challenging one of the competition benchmarks, Melbourne, at Optus Stadium on Easter Sunday.
The club has an in-form WAFL Eagles squad to call upon for reinforcements, while star Elliot Yeo is expected to be available for his first game of the season.
Due to collision injuries against Fremantle, Jamie Cripps (ankle), Liam Ryan (hamstring), Campbell Chesser (knee) and Alex Witherden (concussion protocols) will need to be replaced in the senior team.
Skipper Luke Shuey sustained a minor hamstring setback, however vice-captain Jeremy McGovern and Ryan will both likely require surgery on hamstring tendon injuries.
“We were proud of our players’ spirit and determination in difficult circumstances against Fremantle, albeit disappointed not to get the result we were hoping for,” General Manager – Football Gavin Bell said.
“Unfortunately, from that match we’ve had some bad luck on the injury front, largely stemming from collision injuries which we all accept are part of the game.
“Jamie Cripps underwent surgery on his broken ankle today, while Jeremy McGovern and Liam Ryan will likely require hamstring operations, which is really disappointing after they all completed excellent pre-seasons.
“After a heavy landing from a marking contest, Liam felt he was capable of returning to the field and his desire to help the team with interchange rotations was admirable.
“The expectation is Luke Shuey and Alex Witherden will return in the short-term, while Campbell Chesser’s timeframe to play again will be assessed in due course.
“Unlike last season, we have much better availability amongst our squad after 14 AFL-listed players represented the WAFL Eagles in their win over Subiaco on Saturday.
“We’re really confident in those players stepping up to play roles as required and, while we’ll do everything we possibly can to support our injured players’ welfare, the team and coaches led by Adam Simpson are quickly refocusing on taking on Melbourne.”
Meanwhile, Head of Health Mark Finucane confirmed defender Harry Edwards had sustained an ankle injury following a marking contest at training on Tuesday, with the big man set to be a test to play this weekend.
“His x-ray is clear of any bone damage so he’s just got to let the swelling settle down and he’ll be a late fitness test later in the week,” Finucane said.
Speedy half-back Coby Burgiel is set to be available after a minor hamstring strain, while ruck Callum Jamieson is progressing but will not be available this weekend.
Injury list:
Coby Burgiel Hamstring Test
Campbell Chesser Knee TBC
Jamie Cripps Ankle TBC
Harry Edwards Ankle Test
Callum Jamieson Ankle 1-2 weeks
Jeremy McGovern Hamstring TBC
Nic Naitanui Achilles TBC
Liam Ryan Hamstring TBC
Luke Shuey Hamstring 2-3 weeks
Jack Williams Spleen 5-6 weeks
Alex Witherden Concussion Protocols 1-2 weeks
Elliot Yeo Calf Test
