Experienced wingman Matt Rosa will need only to get through training this week to join a long list of West Coast players to return from injury in the last fortnight.
Rosa, who has played 155 games, has suffered two hamstring strains this season and has been treated conservatively in his recovery. He was close to resuming last week, but in consultation with medical staff, decided to hold off for another week.
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If all goes according to plan, he will leave the match committee with another decision to make ahead of Saturday’s clash with Essendon. He played the first four games before straining the hamstring in the dying minutes against Brisbane and was then preparing to resume three weeks ago when he suffered a recurrence in training.
Already the match committee has to make a determination on whether Jack Darling returns to senior football after kicking five goals for East Perth in his first game for the year, while another experienced utility player, Xavier Ellis, is pressing for a return after a couple of strong performances for the Royals.
Ellis was a stand-out for East Perth in a three-goal win over Swan Districts last Saturday.
In addition to those key players, another of the club’s draftees from last season, half forward Tom Lamb, who made his senior debut in round one against the Western Bulldogs, is making strong progress from knee surgery.
His is training in the rehabilitation group, but all things going well he could be integrated into main training next week. He could return to play at WAFL level the week after the club’s Friday night clash against Richmond in a fortnight.
His pending return comes after another 2014 draftee, Damien Cavka, played 60 minutes in the reserves for East Perth last Saturday – his first exposure to football this season after recovering from a foot injury.
