West Coast goalsneak Josh Hill has credited his move back to Western Australia for reinvigorating his AFL career, saying he feels far more settled being closer to family.

Hill showed glimpses of promise during his five seasons and 66 games at the Western Bulldogs, but his lack of consistency proved to be an ongoing frustration for club and player.

The Bulldogs eventually cut their losses and traded Hill to the Eagles for pick No.49 at the end of last year, and the 185cm speedster has been working hard to win respect at his new club.

With Mark LeCras (knee) and Mark Nicoski (hamstring) going down before the start of the season, the pressure was on Hill to fill the void as West Coast’s premier small forward.

He has repaid the Eagles’ faith with 16 goals in seven games, and said he was enjoying being closer to family and friends back in Perth.

“A lot of things just weren’t working well (at the Bulldogs) and I just felt that I needed a fresh start at a new club and the Eagles were happy enough to open up the doors for me,” Hill said ahead of Sunday’s clash with St Kilda at Patersons Stadium.

“I’ve been loving it ever since.

“(Having family around) makes me feel a lot more comfortable.

“I know I can have a lot more people to rely on, on and off the field. I’ve got family support around if I need to talk to anyone.”

With key forward Josh Kennedy in the early stages of recovering from ankle surgery, Hill has taken on more responsibility in the Eagles’ forward line in an attempt to ease the burden on marking target Jack Darling.

The return of ruckman Nic Naitanui will give West Coast more marking options against the Saints, while defenders Will Schofield (suspension), Ash Smith (ankle) and Adam Selwood (hand) are also expected to return.