West Coast Eagles boosted as Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan confirmed out of Friday night clash
It comes as West Coast confirm their only change will be draftee Malakai Champion coming in to replace winger Jayden Hunt in a likely sub role.
Hogan was the chief destroyer in round four when the Giants demolished the Eagles by 81 points at ENGIE Stadium, kicking an equal career-high nine goals against Sandy Brock on the youngster's debut.
Eagles coach Andrew McQualter said earlier in the week West Coast had been weighing up which of Brock, Harry Edwards or Reuben Ginbey would take the towering West Australian goalkicker, but they will now be freed up to have at least one play an intercept role.
The absence of the Giants' pair, as well as the Eagles missing Jake Waterman due to injury and Jeremy McGovern due to retirement, means all of the two clubs' All-Australian players will be missing.
Champion will become the eighth Eagle to earn his wings in season 2025 after Archer Reid, Brock, Hamish Davis, Tom Gross, Bo Allan, Tom McCarthy and Jobe Shanahan.
He is also the fifth of the 2024 draft crop to debut and the third Naitanui Academy graduate to represent the blue and gold after being drafted to West Coast.
The young forward has kicked seven goals in 11 WAFL outings this season and fittingly plays his first match just days after fellow Kalgoorlie product and premiership hero Dom Sheed hung up his boots.
The Eagles will also celebrate NAIDOC week in round 17, wearing the club's First Nations jumper that featured during Sir Doug Nicholls round and the club's only victory this season against St Kilda.
West Coast v Greater Western Sydney
Friday, 6.20pm, Optus Stadium
Eagles
FB: R Ginbey H Edwards T McCarthy
HB: L Baker S Brock L Duggan
C: J Cripps H Reid J Hutchinson
HF: J Graham J Shanahan E Hewett
FF: L Ryan J Williams T Brockman
FOLL: M Flynn B Hough T Kelly
INT: R Maric B Allan C Hall B Williams M Champion
EMG: J Hunt A Reid R Bazzo
Giants
FB: C Idun L Aleer J Fonti
HB: H Himmelberg J Buckley L Ash
C: R Angwin T Bedford J Kelly
HF: X O'Halloran A Cadman D Jones
FF: H Thomas M Gruzewski T Greene
FOLL: K Briggs F Callaghan T Green
INT: J Leake C Brown H Rowston J Riccardi J Stringer
EMG: J Delana J Wehr T McMullin
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Knights pathways products Evah McEwen, Evie Jones and Lilly-Ann White all made their NRLW debuts last year, and Jules Kirkpatrick is set for hers in round one. "Going forward, there's going to be a lot more home-grown players coming through," Jeffries said. "This year, next year, the year after that and so forth. Someone like Evah McEwen ... I think you'll see a lot more of her. Then you've got Jules Kirkpatrick, Evie Jones, the Lilly Whites. They're all waiting to take their opportunities." There wasn't much McEwen didn't do in 2024. The 19-year-old was the Knights' Tarsha Gale (under 19s) player of the year, represented NSW in the under-19 State of Origin, made her NRLW debut, earned a call-up to the Samoan side and was nominated on the Golden Boot long list for international player of the year. But 2025 could prove even bigger for the powerful second-rower, who has been upgraded from development player to the top-24 roster and drawn plenty of similarities to Clydsdale. The St Marys junior starts on Friday night following the departure of Albert-Jones, and the club has backed her potential by locking down McEwen until the end of 2027. White, who was the NSW under-19 fullback last year, has also been promoted to the Knights' top squad and has been rewarded for some strong performances on the wing as a development player last season with a starting spot there for round one. Cross-code success stories probably don't come any better than that of Young Matildas captain-turned-NRLW tryscoring machine Sheridan Gallagher. The crossover from rugby union to rugby league seems an easier transition than the jump from soccer. But, Gallagher has proven an exceptional rugby league winger in just two seasons, scoring 16 tries in 19 games to be the Knights' leading tryscorer both campaigns. This year, after spending the NRLW off-season playing A-League with the Newcastle Jets, the 23-year-old is looking to be even more lethal. Tenika Willison's leap from rugby sevens has been equally impressive. The 2020 Olympic gold medallist was a late addition to the Knights squad in 2024. She joined the club from the Paris Olympics, where she was part of New Zealand's gold medal-winning rugby sevens campaign, and launched her rugby league career in sensational fashion by scoring on debut in round four. The athletic outside back retained her starting spot on the wing for the rest of the season, scoring four tries in seven appearances, producing two try assists and averaging 109 running metres per game before being named Knights' Rookie of the Year. Jeffries reckons there is plenty more to come from the Kiwi this year. The 27-year-old comes in with a full NRLW pre-season under her belt and has been shifted to the centres for round one. Expect to see more of Grace Kukutai in her second season in an NRLW environment. The Kiwi is another multi-code talent and made three appearances in NRLW last year, being concussed in a crunching tackle by Jillaroos prop Millie Elliott on debut in round one, and spent most of the season helping the Knights' reserve-grade team make the NSW Premiership grand final. The super fit 28-year-old played Super Rugby with Willison for Chiefs Manawa in the off-season and has an elite netball background. Last year, Kukutai played in the back row. This year, she shifts to a middle forward position and has been named on the bench against the Bulldogs. The addition of two more teams is going to make competition for top-six positions fierce. There will be no room for slip-ups. Consistency, squad depth and fitness are going to be key. Jeffries has put the Knights through a gruelling pre-season, saying: "It's obvious the game is getting faster, so you've got to be fitter." "We're pretty optimistic around what we can and can't do," Jeffries said as pre-season kicked off in May. "We haven't talked about it too much, but just understanding when you look at our group, there's people who have played Origin. There's back-to-back premiership winners. There's gold-medal winners. There's players that have played 19s Origin, so that's why we're quite optimistic. "We're not going to say we're going to win the comp and things like that. That's not how it works. We understand there's a lot of hard work to be done from them. "It's just a transition phase. We're not rebuilding. We're bringing our young ones through. Their time will come and they'll be projected into the spotlight when they're ready. "But the way they've come back through pre-season ... they're hungry to succeed." The hard work showed in a 20-12 trial win over Canberra in Cessnock on June 15 but Newcastle's performance on Friday night could prove more telling. There are six changes to the Knights' starting side from last year's semi-final loss to the Roosters. And three new faces on the bench. They were considered the team to beat entering the past two seasons, but how will a new-look Knights squad fare in an expanded 12-team competition in 2025? There is no denying the off-season losses have been big, most notably Dally M Medallist and two-time Karyn Murphy Medallist for player of the grand final Tamika Upton, and a wealth of experience has moved on. Coach Ben Jeffries, in his second year at the helm, looks to have turned to mostly untapped talent and home-grown prospects this campaign. They will be complemented by a core group of exceptional players, which includes prodigious halfback Jesse Southwell. Newcastle launch a new era against newcomers Canterbury Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Friday night. In a short amount of time, the Knights have quickly become one of the competition heavyweights. After collecting the wooden spoon in their maiden campaign, they claimed grand final glory in 2022 with a host of high-profile signings. 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The Knights also lost premiership-winning prop Rima Butler (Sydney Roosters), utility Nita Maynard (Dragons), second-rower Laishon Albert-Jones (New Zealand Warriors) and centre Abigail Roache (Queensland Cowboys). Premiership-winning middle forward and New Zealand international Tiana Davison returns to the Knights, where she played in 2022 and 2023, after winning last year's grand final with the Roosters. A bit-part player in her three NRLW seasons, the 24-year-old is aiming to cement a starting spot this campaign. Fullback Botille Vette-Walsh brings plenty of experience to the Knights. The New Zealand-born 28-year-old has played in NRLW since its inception. She has played at the Roosters, St George Illawarra, Parramatta and Wests Tigers and is a NSW and Australian representative. Other new faces include NSW under-19 representative lock Sienna Yeo, who was rookie of the year for NSW Women's Rugby League premiers Illawarra, and New Zealander Keighley Simpson, an outside back who played Super Rugby for Matatu. Joeli Morris returns to NRLW after a stand-out season in the Knights' second-tier NSW Premiership team last year and will start against the Bulldogs with Olivia Higgins out through suspension. She is widely regarded as the best second-rower in the women's game, and Cardiff South-raised Yasmin Clydsdale will captain her home-town team this year. The 31-year-old Scone-based school teacher has 39 NRLW appearances, and three premierships to her name, and leads by example. The NSW and Jillaroos forward is super fit, has an incredible work ethic and lifts those around her. Home-grown No.9 Higgins, also a NSW and Australian representative, New Zealand centre Shanice Parker and Gloucester-raised prop Tayla Predebon all have over 30 appearances in NRLW and are proven premiership-winners. Knights five-eighth Georgia Roche is an England international and will again form part of an experienced spine for Newcastle. She is only 20 years of age, but Jesse Southwell has long been earmarked for future greatness. And, the Kotara Bears junior showed why as she led NSW to a State of Origin triumph with stand-out performances throughout the three-match series in May. "We'll play a little bit differently this year, so I'm really happy with how she came back from Origin," Jeffries said. "She played with some real maturity and patience in that Origin space. I thought that was the best football I've ever seen her play." Knights pathways products Evah McEwen, Evie Jones and Lilly-Ann White all made their NRLW debuts last year, and Jules Kirkpatrick is set for hers in round one. "Going forward, there's going to be a lot more home-grown players coming through," Jeffries said. "This year, next year, the year after that and so forth. Someone like Evah McEwen ... I think you'll see a lot more of her. Then you've got Jules Kirkpatrick, Evie Jones, the Lilly Whites. They're all waiting to take their opportunities." There wasn't much McEwen didn't do in 2024. The 19-year-old was the Knights' Tarsha Gale (under 19s) player of the year, represented NSW in the under-19 State of Origin, made her NRLW debut, earned a call-up to the Samoan side and was nominated on the Golden Boot long list for international player of the year. But 2025 could prove even bigger for the powerful second-rower, who has been upgraded from development player to the top-24 roster and drawn plenty of similarities to Clydsdale. The St Marys junior starts on Friday night following the departure of Albert-Jones, and the club has backed her potential by locking down McEwen until the end of 2027. White, who was the NSW under-19 fullback last year, has also been promoted to the Knights' top squad and has been rewarded for some strong performances on the wing as a development player last season with a starting spot there for round one. Cross-code success stories probably don't come any better than that of Young Matildas captain-turned-NRLW tryscoring machine Sheridan Gallagher. The crossover from rugby union to rugby league seems an easier transition than the jump from soccer. But, Gallagher has proven an exceptional rugby league winger in just two seasons, scoring 16 tries in 19 games to be the Knights' leading tryscorer both campaigns. This year, after spending the NRLW off-season playing A-League with the Newcastle Jets, the 23-year-old is looking to be even more lethal. Tenika Willison's leap from rugby sevens has been equally impressive. The 2020 Olympic gold medallist was a late addition to the Knights squad in 2024. She joined the club from the Paris Olympics, where she was part of New Zealand's gold medal-winning rugby sevens campaign, and launched her rugby league career in sensational fashion by scoring on debut in round four. The athletic outside back retained her starting spot on the wing for the rest of the season, scoring four tries in seven appearances, producing two try assists and averaging 109 running metres per game before being named Knights' Rookie of the Year. Jeffries reckons there is plenty more to come from the Kiwi this year. The 27-year-old comes in with a full NRLW pre-season under her belt and has been shifted to the centres for round one. Expect to see more of Grace Kukutai in her second season in an NRLW environment. The Kiwi is another multi-code talent and made three appearances in NRLW last year, being concussed in a crunching tackle by Jillaroos prop Millie Elliott on debut in round one, and spent most of the season helping the Knights' reserve-grade team make the NSW Premiership grand final. The super fit 28-year-old played Super Rugby with Willison for Chiefs Manawa in the off-season and has an elite netball background. Last year, Kukutai played in the back row. This year, she shifts to a middle forward position and has been named on the bench against the Bulldogs. The addition of two more teams is going to make competition for top-six positions fierce. There will be no room for slip-ups. Consistency, squad depth and fitness are going to be key. Jeffries has put the Knights through a gruelling pre-season, saying: "It's obvious the game is getting faster, so you've got to be fitter." "We're pretty optimistic around what we can and can't do," Jeffries said as pre-season kicked off in May. "We haven't talked about it too much, but just understanding when you look at our group, there's people who have played Origin. There's back-to-back premiership winners. There's gold-medal winners. There's players that have played 19s Origin, so that's why we're quite optimistic. "We're not going to say we're going to win the comp and things like that. That's not how it works. We understand there's a lot of hard work to be done from them. "It's just a transition phase. We're not rebuilding. We're bringing our young ones through. Their time will come and they'll be projected into the spotlight when they're ready. "But the way they've come back through pre-season ... they're hungry to succeed." The hard work showed in a 20-12 trial win over Canberra in Cessnock on June 15 but Newcastle's performance on Friday night could prove more telling. There are six changes to the Knights' starting side from last year's semi-final loss to the Roosters. And three new faces on the bench. They were considered the team to beat entering the past two seasons, but how will a new-look Knights squad fare in an expanded 12-team competition in 2025? There is no denying the off-season losses have been big, most notably Dally M Medallist and two-time Karyn Murphy Medallist for player of the grand final Tamika Upton, and a wealth of experience has moved on. Coach Ben Jeffries, in his second year at the helm, looks to have turned to mostly untapped talent and home-grown prospects this campaign. They will be complemented by a core group of exceptional players, which includes prodigious halfback Jesse Southwell. Newcastle launch a new era against newcomers Canterbury Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Friday night. In a short amount of time, the Knights have quickly become one of the competition heavyweights. After collecting the wooden spoon in their maiden campaign, they claimed grand final glory in 2022 with a host of high-profile signings. They backed it up in emphatic fashion in 2023, claiming the club's first NRLW minor title before defending their premiership crown. Last year, they had a huge target on their backs. They scraped into the top four after six wins and three losses and bowed out in the semi-finals to eventual champions the Sydney Roosters. This year, the competition expands from nine to 11 rounds with the additions of the Bulldogs and the New Zealand Warriors, and there will be a top-six finals series instead of top four. Upton is widely regarded as one of the best players in the women's game. The Queensland and Jillaroos fullback was at the heart of the Knights' back-to-back premiership double but was released at the end of last season on compassionate grounds. Also gone are former captain Hannah Southwell (St George Illawarra) and barnstorming forward Caitlan Johnston-Green (Cronulla), who have State of Origin and Jillaroos experience. The Knights also lost premiership-winning prop Rima Butler (Sydney Roosters), utility Nita Maynard (Dragons), second-rower Laishon Albert-Jones (New Zealand Warriors) and centre Abigail Roache (Queensland Cowboys). Premiership-winning middle forward and New Zealand international Tiana Davison returns to the Knights, where she played in 2022 and 2023, after winning last year's grand final with the Roosters. A bit-part player in her three NRLW seasons, the 24-year-old is aiming to cement a starting spot this campaign. Fullback Botille Vette-Walsh brings plenty of experience to the Knights. The New Zealand-born 28-year-old has played in NRLW since its inception. She has played at the Roosters, St George Illawarra, Parramatta and Wests Tigers and is a NSW and Australian representative. Other new faces include NSW under-19 representative lock Sienna Yeo, who was rookie of the year for NSW Women's Rugby League premiers Illawarra, and New Zealander Keighley Simpson, an outside back who played Super Rugby for Matatu. Joeli Morris returns to NRLW after a stand-out season in the Knights' second-tier NSW Premiership team last year and will start against the Bulldogs with Olivia Higgins out through suspension. She is widely regarded as the best second-rower in the women's game, and Cardiff South-raised Yasmin Clydsdale will captain her home-town team this year. The 31-year-old Scone-based school teacher has 39 NRLW appearances, and three premierships to her name, and leads by example. The NSW and Jillaroos forward is super fit, has an incredible work ethic and lifts those around her. Home-grown No.9 Higgins, also a NSW and Australian representative, New Zealand centre Shanice Parker and Gloucester-raised prop Tayla Predebon all have over 30 appearances in NRLW and are proven premiership-winners. Knights five-eighth Georgia Roche is an England international and will again form part of an experienced spine for Newcastle. She is only 20 years of age, but Jesse Southwell has long been earmarked for future greatness. And, the Kotara Bears junior showed why as she led NSW to a State of Origin triumph with stand-out performances throughout the three-match series in May. "We'll play a little bit differently this year, so I'm really happy with how she came back from Origin," Jeffries said. "She played with some real maturity and patience in that Origin space. I thought that was the best football I've ever seen her play." Knights pathways products Evah McEwen, Evie Jones and Lilly-Ann White all made their NRLW debuts last year, and Jules Kirkpatrick is set for hers in round one. "Going forward, there's going to be a lot more home-grown players coming through," Jeffries said. "This year, next year, the year after that and so forth. Someone like Evah McEwen ... I think you'll see a lot more of her. Then you've got Jules Kirkpatrick, Evie Jones, the Lilly Whites. They're all waiting to take their opportunities." There wasn't much McEwen didn't do in 2024. The 19-year-old was the Knights' Tarsha Gale (under 19s) player of the year, represented NSW in the under-19 State of Origin, made her NRLW debut, earned a call-up to the Samoan side and was nominated on the Golden Boot long list for international player of the year. But 2025 could prove even bigger for the powerful second-rower, who has been upgraded from development player to the top-24 roster and drawn plenty of similarities to Clydsdale. The St Marys junior starts on Friday night following the departure of Albert-Jones, and the club has backed her potential by locking down McEwen until the end of 2027. White, who was the NSW under-19 fullback last year, has also been promoted to the Knights' top squad and has been rewarded for some strong performances on the wing as a development player last season with a starting spot there for round one. Cross-code success stories probably don't come any better than that of Young Matildas captain-turned-NRLW tryscoring machine Sheridan Gallagher. The crossover from rugby union to rugby league seems an easier transition than the jump from soccer. But, Gallagher has proven an exceptional rugby league winger in just two seasons, scoring 16 tries in 19 games to be the Knights' leading tryscorer both campaigns. This year, after spending the NRLW off-season playing A-League with the Newcastle Jets, the 23-year-old is looking to be even more lethal. Tenika Willison's leap from rugby sevens has been equally impressive. The 2020 Olympic gold medallist was a late addition to the Knights squad in 2024. She joined the club from the Paris Olympics, where she was part of New Zealand's gold medal-winning rugby sevens campaign, and launched her rugby league career in sensational fashion by scoring on debut in round four. The athletic outside back retained her starting spot on the wing for the rest of the season, scoring four tries in seven appearances, producing two try assists and averaging 109 running metres per game before being named Knights' Rookie of the Year. Jeffries reckons there is plenty more to come from the Kiwi this year. The 27-year-old comes in with a full NRLW pre-season under her belt and has been shifted to the centres for round one. Expect to see more of Grace Kukutai in her second season in an NRLW environment. The Kiwi is another multi-code talent and made three appearances in NRLW last year, being concussed in a crunching tackle by Jillaroos prop Millie Elliott on debut in round one, and spent most of the season helping the Knights' reserve-grade team make the NSW Premiership grand final. The super fit 28-year-old played Super Rugby with Willison for Chiefs Manawa in the off-season and has an elite netball background. Last year, Kukutai played in the back row. This year, she shifts to a middle forward position and has been named on the bench against the Bulldogs. The addition of two more teams is going to make competition for top-six positions fierce. There will be no room for slip-ups. Consistency, squad depth and fitness are going to be key. Jeffries has put the Knights through a gruelling pre-season, saying: "It's obvious the game is getting faster, so you've got to be fitter." "We're pretty optimistic around what we can and can't do," Jeffries said as pre-season kicked off in May. "We haven't talked about it too much, but just understanding when you look at our group, there's people who have played Origin. There's back-to-back premiership winners. There's gold-medal winners. There's players that have played 19s Origin, so that's why we're quite optimistic. "We're not going to say we're going to win the comp and things like that. That's not how it works. We understand there's a lot of hard work to be done from them. "It's just a transition phase. We're not rebuilding. We're bringing our young ones through. Their time will come and they'll be projected into the spotlight when they're ready. "But the way they've come back through pre-season ... they're hungry to succeed." The hard work showed in a 20-12 trial win over Canberra in Cessnock on June 15 but Newcastle's performance on Friday night could prove more telling. There are six changes to the Knights' starting side from last year's semi-final loss to the Roosters. And three new faces on the bench.
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Jayden Hunt on the outer as Eagles turn to youth
West Coast will unleash small forward Malakai Champion as their eighth debutant of the year, but the AFL career of Jayden Hunt is on thin ice. Champion, who came through West Coast's Next Generation academy program, will make his debut as the sub in Friday night's clash with GWS at Optus Stadium. The 19-year-old has kicked seven goals in 11 WAFL Eagles games this year, with his defensive pressure highlighted by an 11-tackle effort against Peel recently. Champion's debut comes just a week after West Coast unveiled swingman Jobe Shanahan, who impressed with a goal and three marks from eight disposals in a 29-point loss to Collingwood. The recent retirements of Jeremy McGovern (concussion) and grand final hero Dom Sheed (knee) - plus injuries to Elliot Yeo, Oscar Allen and Jake Waterman - have further accelerated West Coast's move to generation next. Jamie Cripps, Allen, Hunt, Campbell Chesser, Jack Petruccelle and Tom Cole are among the more notable names who are coming out of contract at the end of this season. Allen is being widely tipped to join either Brisbane or Hawthorn as a restricted free agent, but the rest of the players mentioned face a nervous wait to see if they will be offered a new deal. It means Hunt's dramatic drop in form has come at the worst possible time, with the former Demon to be axed for the clash with GWS. The 30-year-old tallied just one disposal from 14 per cent playing time as the sub last Saturday, which followed on from a two-disposal effort a week earlier against Carlton. "Form can get everyone at different times," Eagles coach Andrew McQualter said. "We're going to send Hunty back (to the WAFL) and build his game again, like we've done with other players this year." McQualter praised Malakai for his rapid progress this year. And with the likes of Harley Reid, Bo Allan, Tyrell Dewar, Reuben Ginbey, Tom Gross, Clay Hall, Elijah Hewett, Sandy Brock, Archer Reid, Jack Williams, Shanahan and Tom McCarthy either having already made their mark or shown flashes of their potential, there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel in West Coast's rebuild. GWS (9-6) beat West Coast by 81 points earlier this year and will be aiming to post another percentage-boosting win. West Coast will unleash small forward Malakai Champion as their eighth debutant of the year, but the AFL career of Jayden Hunt is on thin ice. Champion, who came through West Coast's Next Generation academy program, will make his debut as the sub in Friday night's clash with GWS at Optus Stadium. The 19-year-old has kicked seven goals in 11 WAFL Eagles games this year, with his defensive pressure highlighted by an 11-tackle effort against Peel recently. Champion's debut comes just a week after West Coast unveiled swingman Jobe Shanahan, who impressed with a goal and three marks from eight disposals in a 29-point loss to Collingwood. The recent retirements of Jeremy McGovern (concussion) and grand final hero Dom Sheed (knee) - plus injuries to Elliot Yeo, Oscar Allen and Jake Waterman - have further accelerated West Coast's move to generation next. Jamie Cripps, Allen, Hunt, Campbell Chesser, Jack Petruccelle and Tom Cole are among the more notable names who are coming out of contract at the end of this season. Allen is being widely tipped to join either Brisbane or Hawthorn as a restricted free agent, but the rest of the players mentioned face a nervous wait to see if they will be offered a new deal. It means Hunt's dramatic drop in form has come at the worst possible time, with the former Demon to be axed for the clash with GWS. The 30-year-old tallied just one disposal from 14 per cent playing time as the sub last Saturday, which followed on from a two-disposal effort a week earlier against Carlton. "Form can get everyone at different times," Eagles coach Andrew McQualter said. "We're going to send Hunty back (to the WAFL) and build his game again, like we've done with other players this year." McQualter praised Malakai for his rapid progress this year. And with the likes of Harley Reid, Bo Allan, Tyrell Dewar, Reuben Ginbey, Tom Gross, Clay Hall, Elijah Hewett, Sandy Brock, Archer Reid, Jack Williams, Shanahan and Tom McCarthy either having already made their mark or shown flashes of their potential, there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel in West Coast's rebuild. GWS (9-6) beat West Coast by 81 points earlier this year and will be aiming to post another percentage-boosting win. West Coast will unleash small forward Malakai Champion as their eighth debutant of the year, but the AFL career of Jayden Hunt is on thin ice. Champion, who came through West Coast's Next Generation academy program, will make his debut as the sub in Friday night's clash with GWS at Optus Stadium. The 19-year-old has kicked seven goals in 11 WAFL Eagles games this year, with his defensive pressure highlighted by an 11-tackle effort against Peel recently. Champion's debut comes just a week after West Coast unveiled swingman Jobe Shanahan, who impressed with a goal and three marks from eight disposals in a 29-point loss to Collingwood. The recent retirements of Jeremy McGovern (concussion) and grand final hero Dom Sheed (knee) - plus injuries to Elliot Yeo, Oscar Allen and Jake Waterman - have further accelerated West Coast's move to generation next. Jamie Cripps, Allen, Hunt, Campbell Chesser, Jack Petruccelle and Tom Cole are among the more notable names who are coming out of contract at the end of this season. Allen is being widely tipped to join either Brisbane or Hawthorn as a restricted free agent, but the rest of the players mentioned face a nervous wait to see if they will be offered a new deal. It means Hunt's dramatic drop in form has come at the worst possible time, with the former Demon to be axed for the clash with GWS. The 30-year-old tallied just one disposal from 14 per cent playing time as the sub last Saturday, which followed on from a two-disposal effort a week earlier against Carlton. "Form can get everyone at different times," Eagles coach Andrew McQualter said. "We're going to send Hunty back (to the WAFL) and build his game again, like we've done with other players this year." McQualter praised Malakai for his rapid progress this year. And with the likes of Harley Reid, Bo Allan, Tyrell Dewar, Reuben Ginbey, Tom Gross, Clay Hall, Elijah Hewett, Sandy Brock, Archer Reid, Jack Williams, Shanahan and Tom McCarthy either having already made their mark or shown flashes of their potential, there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel in West Coast's rebuild. GWS (9-6) beat West Coast by 81 points earlier this year and will be aiming to post another percentage-boosting win.
