In years to come we anticipate our Club will look back on these last couple of years as a moment in time. A tough and challenging period in our history which ultimately was the springboard to future success.

Our supporters have done it tough in the past couple of seasons as our ladder positions have been in areas to which we are unaccustomed.

When clubs are in the bottom sector of the premiership table it is imperative on having access to the best young players. In the past few seasons we have placed a strong emphasis on the draft, enabling us to introduce some exciting young players. In doing so we believe we are establishing a strong foundation for future success. 

We are also committed to giving senior coach Adam Simpson and Gavin Bell (General Manager Football) every support to facilitate our resurgence. Everyone at the Club is energised and looking forward to what lies ahead.

Aside from going to the draft for the third successive season where we have secured some elite young talent, we have also been able to bring in a couple of players who can help alleviate some list needs.

To have ruckman Matt Flynn join our club through the free agency mechanism from GWS was most satisfying, following on from Jayden Hunt who joined us from Melbourne last year and then finished in the top four in the Club Champion Award.

Having Tyler Brockman nominate the West Coast Eagles as his club of choice as he sought to return to his home State after two years with Hawthorn should also assist us to meet our aspirations. He is an exciting small forward who is in the embryonic stages of his AFL career, but he has some great attributes including his pace and skill.

Our list profile has changed dramatically in the last three years, with almost 30 players departing in that period as we transition from being one of the oldest teams in the competition to one of the youngest. 

Unfortunately, that has meant we have farewelled some of the club’s great champions as this year we said goodbye to our games record holder and 2018 premiership captain Shannon Hurn, current captain and Norm Smith medallist Luke Shuey and the remarkably talented Nic Naitanui.

I would like to acknowledge their wonderful achievements over such a long period of time and thank them for being a part of so many great moments in the history of our Club. Sadly, father time is an opponent no athlete can defeat.

We are delighted that Luke will continue with the club as an assistant coach.

This is also the appropriate moment to congratulate Tim Kelly, who joined the list of the Eagles greatest, by winning the John Worsfold Medal as the 2023 Club Champion.

In a very tough year Tim was able to play with remarkable consistency and thoroughly deserved the award.

Runner-up Oscar Allen also enjoyed an amazing season, kicking 53 goals from limited opportunities while Liam Duggan was also a fine contributor and was recognised by finishing in third place.

Clearly, those three players at the top of the Club Champion leader board will have important roles to play in filling the leadership void left by the departure of our two most recent captains – Shannon and Luke.        

While those great on-field exponents called time, we are also preparing to farewell another significant contributor in the history of or club. No one has done more for the West Coast Eagles than Trevor Nisbett.

Our Chief Executive officer for the last 25 years and General Manager Football for nine years prior to that, Trevor has left an indelible impression on our Club. The longevity of his service is exemplary in itself, but it is the number of ground-breaking achievements that have been accomplished in that time that sets him apart.

He has his imprimatur on each of the Club’s four premierships, oversaw the Club’s move to new facilities on the eastern stand at Subiaco Oval and was the key figure in negotiations with the Town of Victoria Park in attaining the land on which our headquarters now sit at Mineral Resources Park.

That was one of the most extensive and intensive projects imaginable and he rightly takes great pride in what is arguably the best facility of any sporting club in the country. At the same time the Club boasts a very strong balance sheet.

Trevor was also a key driver in the implementation and growth of the Club’s Waalitj Foundation (formerly Wirrpanda Foundation) and has seen the Club membership grow to over 100,000 members – a target that has been attained in each of the last four years.

We were very pleased to be able to appoint dual premiership player and Hall-of-Famer Don Pyke as our fifth Chief Executive Officer. Don and Trevor will work together closely in the transition phase to make the handover as seamless as possible.  

While there has been a strong focus on building our AFL team, our AFLW unit is also growing, albeit in very different circumstances. Unlike other seasons our AFLW squad remained stable compared to previous years. We have an exciting young, developing team and we look forward to their evolution in coming years.

The depth of emerging talent was underpinned by both Ella Roberts and Lauren Wakfer earning Rising Star nominations this season.

And it was further emphasised in Club Champion voting with outstanding youngsters Charlie Thomas and Ella topping the poll. Charlie was a pilar in defence all season and was a well-deserving winner by three votes over Ella.

While they both enjoyed outstanding seasons it was also important that senior players like defender Belinda Smith, captain Emma Swanson and key back Sophie McDonald filled out the top five.    

I would like to acknowledge the contribution of coach Michael Prior who stood down after the round eight victory against Essendon after three seasons in the role. That victory against the Bombers at Windy Hill was one of the best in our short history, and I’m sure it gave Michael tremendous satisfaction.

Someone who would take great pride in the evolution of AFLW is our number one ticketholder, Jan Cooper, a pioneer of women’s football. We were thrilled earlier this year when Jan became the first woman inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame.

It was recognition so richly deserved and she remains an important resource for everyone within our AFLW program.

Our club was also delighted by the induction of the 1992 premiership team into the WA Hall of Champions. Their induction was well deserved with the team holding a very special place in our history.

I would like to congratulate Collingwood on winning the AFL premiership and Brisbane midfielder Lachie Neale who joined a select group of players in winning his second Brownlow Medal.

I would also like to thank the other directors Elizabeth Gaines (Deputy Chair), Ben Wyatt, Trevor Nisbett, Terry Bowen, Justin Langer, Nicole Moody and Rowan Jones for their great support and guidance over the last 12 months, my first year as Chair.

Thank you also to club’s executive, staff and players and we all look forward to enjoying the success from the hard work that everyone is putting in to begin our climb up the ladder.

Finally, to our loyal members, many thanks for remaining so committed to our club when we know your support has been tested.

Paul Fitzpatrick
Chairman