After eight consecutive losses to start their 2025 season, West Coast are increasingly likely to ask the AFL for assistance as they continue to struggle with a club rebuild.
The Eagles’ wretched run of form extends back several seasons, having won just 10 of 78 games played since the start of 2022. And while on face value a priority pick may seem justifiable, the club is expected to get extra creative for league aid.
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Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, reporter Jon Ralph revealed that the club won’t stop short of asking Andrew Dillion for considerable assistance.
“They might be looking for a lot of help, not a little bit,” Ralph began by saying.
“There will be a request at some stage there for special assistance. It’s not a priority pick, because the AFL just doesn’t give out priority picks anymore.
“There are lots of ways they can make a really smart, clever bid for special assistance that would not give them pick one, but might give them multiple NGA (Next Generation Academy) spots. It might give them Category B spots, it might allow them to access some state-league players (and) pre-list them before the draft.”
Currently, the Eagles have just two top 10 draft picks on their list in Harley Reid (Pick #1, 2023) and Reuben Ginbey (Pick #9, 2022).
Co-captain Liam Duggan (Pick #11, 2014) just misses the cut-off, but the point remains that West Coast isn’t home to a lot of high-end talent — a problem that the AFL is still unlikely to help them with come the end of the season.
Part of it is as a result of their previous successes in the 2010s that meant they never had draft picks inside the top 10, but more recently, their trading of Pick 3 to acquire Liam Baker from Richmond last off-season.
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“They understand that they need to be more inventive with salary cap management, draftees and mid-season draftees,” Ralph continued.
“They are also going to look for some sort of help. They’ve got three NGA prospects who are all young Indigenous players. The AFL is desperately trying to boost the number of Indigenous players (so) there’s a way this has got to fit…”
Co-panellist and Fox Footy commentator Corbin Middlemas added: “Good on them for trying their hand, they may as well. But the part I never understand about the Eagles, is why don’t they purchase their advantage?
“We do have a soft cap … they have more money than any other team in the competition – go and pay the luxury tax. Go and put on a couple of extra development coaches, get your young talent (and) train them up.
“That is their advantage, so use it. What are they doing with the money? It’s almost (like) they’re sitting there counting their dollars.
“I’m surprised more teams don’t do it, to be honest. It’s almost like there’s a truce or agreement that the big clubs won’t pay the tax and spend over.”
West Coast’s start to 2025 is the worst in their club’s 39-history, having never previously started a season worse than 0-4. They get their best chance yet at a win this year with a clash against Richmond this Sunday at the MCG.
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