West Coast Eagles Backline Coach Adrian Hickmott says there are plenty of options to replace injured backman Jeremy McGovern in Sunday’s Carlton Draught Derby.
McGovern re-injured his hamstring late in the game against the Hawks and will miss at least two weeks.
Hickmott says they’ve found a way down back all year and they’ll have to do it again, but adds there are a few options for the match committee to look at.
“We’ve got Tommy Barrass sitting there, he’s been in pretty good form,” Hickmott told Eagle Eye TV.
“Jamie Bennell, also young Jackson Nelson, so we’ve got some depth down in our backline.
“The height is the one we look at, so we’ll just have to wait and see how match committee goes.”
The battle for midfield ascendancy is always paramount to any result, and the Eagles ruck division have, quite literally, a tall order this Sunday coming up against Freo’s in-form duo in Johnathon Griffin and the league’s tallest player Aaron Sandilands.
“He’s (Sandilands) a good player, he’s strong and experienced,” Hickmott said.
“It’s a great ask, we thought Scotty Lycett did an extremely good job last week.
“We hope that Cal Sinclair gets up throughout the week, but he’ll have to get through training to pass a fitness test.”
While not taking home the points last weekend Hickmott says there was plenty to take out of the game from an Eagles point of view.
“We leaned we can match it with one of the best sides in the competition over the last four or five years,” he said.
“That was exciting to know that.
“Persisting and playing the game out is probably what we learned.
“Just to keep on our task at hand, because good teams they get hold of you and they’re able to score if we’re not persistent.”