Eagles’ SOS: AFL’s perennial strugglers granted assistance package in revival bid

The West Coast Eagles will receive a first-round draft pick as part of their assistance package from the AFL, it’s been announced today.

Also as part of the package from the AFL Commission, the wooden spoon-winning Eagles will be granted four additional rookie list sports for the next three years.

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That additional 2025 draft pick will be for the end of the first round – currently sitting at pick 19.

The decision to hand the Eagles an assistance package comes off the back of the club winning just 11 games across the past four seasons – including just one in 2025.

They’ve collected two wooden spoons in that time, including in 2023 when they went on to take Harley Reid with their prized number 1 pick.

But the Eagles are also one of only nine AFL clubs to win a premiership this century – and they’ve missed finals just 11 times since the top 8 system was introduced.

“It is important that we have a competitively balanced competition and that fans can feel that on any day, in any game, their team can win,” AFL executive general manager of football performance Greg Swann said.

“The Eagles have won only nine games in the past three seasons and finished in the bottom three of the ladder in the past four seasons.

“We have been working with the club on how assistance can improve their on-field performance to return to being competitive.

“This package is structured to assist the club in the development of their younger playing group by adding the four additional rookie list spots it allows them to invest in additional talent.”

The AFL has confirmed the additional rookie spots are to be funded by the club itself, who have in excess of a record 107,000 members, and those additional spots can be reviewed at any point of the duration.

“The AFL reserves the right to review or alter the provision of support in 2027 and 2028 should there be a material change to the circumstances under which they were provided,” the AFL said in a statement.

The decision to award West Coast an additional first round pick comes at a time the club already holds pick 1 as wooden spooners and likely pick 2.

Officially, Eagles have picks 1, 15, 19, 33 and 51 at November’s national intake and are expected to add the no.2 overall pick as compensation for free agent Oscar Allen’s departure to Brisbane.

“We sincerely appreciate the AFL’s engagement, consideration and approval of the club’s request,” Eagles CEO Don Pyke said.

“Submitting an assistance request was not a decision we took lightly, and the club accepts and takes responsibility for previous decisions which contributed to our current situation of four successive years of bottom-three finishes.

“There have been comprehensive changes at senior levels of our club and football department recently… Our submission highlighted factors – such as the compromised nature of recent national drafts – that have increased the challenge of rebuilding our playing list, while also considering the broader implications for the competition of sustained poor on-field performance.

“Equalisation is a core pillar of the AFL and, as such, we believed our club qualified for assistance, which we are committed to using responsibly in alignment with our clear list management strategy to take us forward.”

The last club to receive AFL compensation was North Melbourne in 2023, where they were given one end-of-first-round pick, before receiving two further end-of-first-round selections last year.

In 2022, the Roos were also given additional draft selections they needed to on-trade.

Other clubs to receive AFL assistant include Gold Coast in 2019, Carlton in 2018 and Brisbane in 2016.

The Suns’ 2019 assistance package included picks 1 and 20 in the 2019 draft, pick 11 in 2020 and pick 19 in 2021, plus pre-access to Academy prospects and an increased rookie list.

The Blues, off eight wins in two seasons and five years without finals footy, were allowed to pre-list two state league players.

The Lions were given pick 19 in the 2016 draft following 14 wins across three seasons.

This year, West Coast became the first club in AFL history to record a 22-loss season.