West Coast will be feeling a case of deja vu this week when they make up to seven injury-enforced changes for Sunday’s AFL clash with Melbourne at Optus Stadium.
The Eagles were left counting the cost of their 41-point western derby loss to Fremantle, with Jamie Cripps (broken ankle), Jeremy McGovern (hamstring), Luke Shuey (hamstring), Liam Ryan (leg), and Alex Witherden (concussion) all suffering injuries.
Youngster Campbell Chesser hurt his knee early in the game but managed to finish the match, while Oscar Allen also had a knee scare during the contest.
The injury carnage brought back memories of last year’s two-win campaign, when West Coast were left so short of fit players that they had to call on their WAFL top-ups at times.
Elliot Yeo will be an ideal replacement for Shuey if he can show he has overcome the calf injury that he suffered on the eve of the season.
Defender Harry Edwards looms as the likely replacement for McGovern, who appears set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines after suffering a high hamstring tear.
Forward Jack Petruccelle booted four goals in a WAFL practice game last week and is set to replace Cripps, while Isiah Winder could also be in the mix if Ryan is unable to recover from his leg injury in time.
Defender Josh Rotham, who made his WAFL return last week after recovering from a broken arm, is another player in the selection mix, along with Greg Clark, Jai Culley, Connor West, Brady Hough, Rhett Bazzo and Xavier O’Neill.
Eagles coach Adam Simpson was proud of the fighting spirit his players showed against Fremantle, with West Coast closing to within two points early in the final quarter.
Simpson would love to see his players carry that fighting spirit forward.
“We didn’t win, so we’re not high-fiving each other. But there’s something a bit deeper about today than winning,” Simpson said after the derby loss.
“So we’ll use that as best we can. It doesn’t guarantee anything for next week. The message at the end is we’ve got Melbourne, so let’s get on with it.
“We’ll lick our wounds. Some of our boys will be out for a long period of time. That’s unfortunate, that’s sad, but it’s round three, so we’ve got to keep moving forward.”
West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui (Achilles tendon) won’t be available until closer to the middle of the season.
