The burning questions around the West Coast Eagles line-up to play Essendon at Etihad Stadium on Sunday remain – despite team lodgements being supplied to the AFL today.
View the full 25-man squad here
Whether the West Coast Eagles match committee has landed on the starting 22 will remain unresolved for 24 hours, until the team departs for Melbourne.
As suspected, three men who have been on the injury list in recent weeks – ruckman Drew Petrie, defender Jackson Nelson and forward Jamie Cripps – are all in the selection frame, but we are none-the-wiser as to whether they will play.
They have all been named on an extended seven-man interchange bench, along with four others who were part of the victorious team against the reigning premiers, Western Bulldogs, last Friday night. Jack Redden, Sharrod Wellingham, Josh Hill and Kurt Mutimer make up the rest of the preliminary bench.
The extended bench will be trimmed tomorrow, but until then we are left guessing to some extent.
Petrie has not played since round one when he broke his hand against his former club North Melbourne, but he has been cleared to play ahead of schedule after being vigilant and diligent with his rehabilitation.
He played virtually the whole game in his West Coast debut with the hand injury and his involvement was critical to the winning effort.
Nelson, after a bright start to the year in defence, has missed the last three games with a wrist injury. He had shown zeal and dash in the back half and was among the best players in the club’s disappointing performance against Hawthorn.
Cripps, too, was injured against the Hawks and missed three matches with an ankle injury. He has also applied himself to his recovery program to return a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.