Season 2020 was, without question, among the most challenging campaigns faced by the entire Australian football community.

And from a player perspective it was particularly tough on senior footballers who had to spend long stints away from their partners and children as the competition was forced into an unprecedented hub format due to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic.

But, as is usually the case, there is a silver lining in even the most trying circumstances.

And this year that was the opportunity afforded to the game’s emerging talents, who clubs leaned on more than ever as they attempted to navigate compressed fixtures and ballooning injury lists.

Burgeoning midfielder Xavier O’Neill was one of several young Eagles who cashed in on the strangest season in league history.

West Coast’s first selection in the 2018 NAB AFL Draft had been knocking on the match committee’s door for several weeks after performing admirably in the Eagles’ sporadic scrimmage games during the club’s first Queensland hub stint.

But his knocks were finally answered ahead of the team’s final home and away outing at Optus Stadium for the year – its round 13 clash with Greater Western Sydney.

It was a defining moment for O’Neill and one that he will not soon forget.

“I was hoping I would debut, but you never know,” O’Neill said.

“Simmo gave me a call in the week and I was just chilling at home, so that was a pretty good feeling.

“My family got on Zoom for my jumper presentation and that was pretty cool having ‘Boots’ (captain Luke Shuey) present my jumper.

“It was a pretty crazy week; everything was a bit of a buzz and I still probably haven’t reflected on it enough.

“Once you get caught up in it it’s just another game of footy and it’s just exciting.

“The speed of the game was a big thing and just the precision you have to have with defence and when you’ve got the ball you haven’t got as long to dispose of it.

“It just gave me some points that I can stick to at training to help train myself for when I do get another chance so I can really take it.”

Looking back on the season as a whole, one in which O’Neill produced five successive senior appearances from his debut to round 17, the Oakleigh Chargers product felt his 2020 experience would be a valuable one in the scheme of his career.

“It was different, but I was pretty pleased at the end just to get my first taste of senior footy,” O’Neill said.

“I felt like I built some good form in the scrimmage matches and got my opportunity.

“I didn’t get to play the full year out, but I learnt heaps from the games I did play and took a lot of confidence out of it.

“Hopefully that can hold me in good stead for 2021 and hopefully further.”

And now with the pressure of pressing for an AFL debut behind him, the level-headed onballer was focused on doing the little things right to continue his rise up West Coast’s ranks.

“I’ve got a few (goals) that we’ll write down with our mentors and a few of the other coaches,” he revealed.

“At the moment it’s probably more about having a really good pre-season, putting my best foot forward and not thinking too far ahead.

“We can’t think too far ahead, but if we put the work in now through pre-season hopefully we see the rewards during the season and go a few steps further than we did this season.”