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Three club legends have departed and a unanimous decision has been made for the coach to stay, meaning the next big topic on West Coast’s agenda is around what to do with the first pick.
And no, don’t worry, this isn’t one of those trade hypothetical pieces where the Eagles are on the losing end of almost every deal floated so far.
It’s about the process for the Eagles, analysing their own list and being definitive with their final decision.
Of course, they have nearly three months to decide what they’ll do, but it’ll be discussed weekly, if not daily. Lucky for them, they’re on the right track.
There would have been discussions had with Shannon Hurn, Luke Shuey and Nic Naitanui and as sad as it is for a generation of Eagles fans to see them leave, their respective retirements are the right call overall. Reputations untarnished, club Hall of Fame spots guaranteed.
The Adam Simpson coaching decision, whether you agree or disagree, has at least been made. It has been a tumultuous time for the Eagles, but there has also been an effort to turn a new page.
2023 was a bad, shocking, horrible year for West Coast – almost historically so. It leaves the club with the top pick in the draft for the first time since 1996: we can casually sweep that 2010 wooden spoon to the side where Gold Coast’s introduction meant the Eagles picked fourth.
Nic Naitanui recently announced his retirement. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Rebuilding a list in a tough spot takes more than one single pick. But as bad as the Eagles have been for two seasons, this is certainly the lowest point, because they’ve already started to take the appropriate steps to commence the slow journey back to the top.
In terms of young talent, the Eagles aren’t as bad as the results and some media will have you believe.
They started trying to load up on top picks a couple of years ago when this drop-off was inevitable, and in taking 10 picks in the last two national drafts, as well as having the first selection in the last two mid-season drafts, it’s clearly the right approach.
Since 2021, they’ve got 185 games out of players selected, which would have been more if not for injuries, illness and general unavailability.
It’s far from perfect, but the club is reasonably covered at both ends of the ground, too. Sure, their attack is pinned on golden child Oscar Allen, while the internal hope is that Bailey Williams can serve more as a forward if the development of Harry Barnett in the ruck ticks along as predicted.
Jamie Cripps has walked for a decade straight to hopefully allow Noah Long to run. Jack Williams returned from injury and had some decent moments in the back end of the season. We’re yet to see Coby Burgiel, but he’s a personal favourite and one that should excite many.
Defensively, there’s the stalwart duo of Tom Barrass and Jeremy McGovern, who are there to shield the younger players if fit. That’s the issue with them both, though: whether or not the former stays may be what decides if the Eagles choose to trade down from pick 1.
Rhett Bazzo deserves a lot of credit for the way he has approached 2023 despite an off-season personal tragedy. On the field, he was exposed at times but not in an outrageous way that should affect any positivity around his talent.
This year, due to injuries, it ended up being a lot of medium-tall types, as well as depth players who were best 23 by default, having to try to cover stars like Barrass and McGovern defensively.
Brady Hough clearly became a more confident version of himself mid-year and flourished since. He was thrown to the wolves down back at times and is perhaps best suited for a flank or wing spot, but it doesn’t take much time watching the Eagles to notice him.
Having guys like Tom Cole, Alex Witherden, Jake Waterman – who knows what his future holds at AFL level at either end of the ground it may be – and more playing above their weight while the Eagles fill holes isn’t a bad thing for developing teams. Elliot Yeo and Liam Duggan inevitably fill spots in defence too.
This all circles back around to the concept of trading pick 1, when the spot on the field the Eagles really need to improve on is in midfield.
The top, openly available prospect in this draft class is Harley Reid, and it’s not particularly close. Go watch his highlights from Essendon’s VFL team if you’re not convinced he’s ready.
He’s that hybrid half-forward/midfield sort of player who will rotate early in his career, but he’s a difference-maker and would give the Eagles’ midfield something special.
At the moment, it’s only Hewett who has that sort of X-factor about him as a midfield prospect for the Eagles. Jai Culley has that potential, but may end up being used more forward with only spurts in the middle. Ryan Maric is maybe a high half-forward of the future, and Campbell Chesser is a peripheral figure in all of this.
Of course there’s Reuben Ginbey, the one with a bit of mongrel and aggressiveness in his desire to win the contested ball, but his effectiveness will always be tied in with the high-end quality of his teammates. Given the opportunity, Reid is an absolutely perfect fit for the Eagles.
Between him, Hewett and Ginbey, there’s a healthy attitude, a bit of in-your-face aggression that links them all together, with varying skillsets across the group.
The Eagles have bided their time in amassing picks, but to get the highest possible quality player available, now is the right moment to do so.
The answer to whether or not it’s worth trading the top pick is almost always no. But it’s never a straight move of the first pick out for a return – look at North Melbourne last year, who got the second and third picks while trading the top one, but also saw Jason Horne-Francis move. Ultimately, it was a mess, as good as Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw have been.
That’s not to say there aren’t extenuating circumstances that would warrant such a move. If Barrass leaves, then the opportunity to take Daniel Curtin is obviously there. He’s a quality tall prospect with remarkable versatility who you wouldn’t bat an eyelid at taking. Mitch Edwards, another local prospect, is a high quality, underrated type that would add to the Eagles’ ruck stocks and free up Williams.
It’s always rumoured that the top prospect doesn’t want to go interstate. If there’s validity in that for Reid, and the swirling vortex of innuendo surrounding the young star suggests it might be the case, then a trade would make sense.
But the Eagles have enough young players with potential to not need to collect five or six more high picks in 2023. They currently have 13 players that won’t yet be 21 years old by next pre-season.
Harley Reid in action during the 2023 U18 Boys Championships. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Now is the time to start taking action on poor results and making the most of what it entails – the cream of the draft crop nationwide.
It’s almost never worth trading the first pick in the national draft, and rarely do deals end up making sense.
The Eagles have done enough work to have potential all over the ground and should maintain enough depth, barring another nightmarish injury run, to take steps forward in 2024 as a developing squad.
If the chance to take the top prospect comes once every quarter-decade, then it would be silly to not act upon that opportunity.
West Coast have already made some big decisions and non-decisions. They now must look at their young talent, not the result, and realise it’s time to stick fat once more.