It was a comfortably warm training session at Mineral Resources Park on Monday, with the West Coast Eagles youngsters impressing as they slot back into pre-season.

Training included a number of ball handling and body work drills, along with short distance sprints and scrimmage work.

Jobe the man for the job

New recruit Jobe Shanahan stood out with an impressive tackle and an intercept mark during the scrimmage, playing as a tall defender. The 18-year-old versatile big displayed both his vice-like grip and defensive pressure in promising signs for what is to come from the Bendigo Pioneers product.

Batman in the back line

Under the guide of ultimate backman-turned-backs-coach Shannon Hurn, Harry Barnett shone as he worked on his defensive craft with the backline regulars. His tall stature and strong body work complemented his pressure and positioning, and he definitely looked at home amongst the likes of Jeremy McGovern, Brady Hough and Tom Cole.

Archer on target

Attracting praise from his fellow teammates for his hard work and determination over the pre-season so far, Archer Reid continues to develop at an exciting rate. At 203cm tall, Reid is an imposing figure in the forward line, his aerial work and marking ability a highlight of his game. Reid was a strong contributor to the Eagles WAFL side in 2024, finishing with 17 goals and 50 marks from 15 games.

Big numbers on the track

With the exception of Rhett Bazzo (foot) and Elliot Yeo (eye), every other Eagle took to the track on Monday, in positive signs for the group and rehabilitating players. It was great to see Noah Long doing sprints and participating in drills, following a PCL injury against Essendon that sidelined him from round nine last season. Yeo is on light duties early this week after copping a finger to the eye at training last Friday. Co-captain Liam Duggan left the track early with a large ice pack on his left quad following a ‘corkie’.