West Coast has settled on just one change for Sunday’s crunch match against Collingwood, bringing inspirational skipper Luke Shuey in for injured forward Brendon Ah Chee.
Senior coach Adam Simpson suggested yesterday that there might be more changes on the horizon after declaring Shuey’s inclusion and Ah Chee’s absence, but that wasn’t the case when the final 22 was lodged with the AFL today.
Shuey returns after missing the Eagles’ wins over Adelaide and Fremantle due to a minor hamstring injury.
The match committee flirted with the idea of bringing him back for RAC Derby 51 but erred on the side of caution, electing to give him another week to shore up the ailment.
Ah Chee will miss the blockbuster fixture after incurring a back injury during West Coast’s win over crosstown rivals Fremantle.
Exciting quartet Bailey Williams, Josh Rotham, Harry Edwards and Nic Reid will be on standby should anything go awry before the first bounce.
Sunday’s match will be a big occasion for players and fans alike.
The round eight game marks the return of the club’s beloved blue and gold army (albeit 25,000 of them), who have not been able to watch their heroes play at Optus Stadium this year.
It will also be a noteworthy match for former captain Shannon Hurn, who will leapfrog club legend Glen Jakovich to become the second most capped Eagles of all time upon playing his 277th game in West Coast’s revered wings.
For those of you who can’t make it to Optus Stadium, the game will be broadcast live on Channel 7, Fox Footy, Kayo and the official AFL Live app from 1.30pm AWST.