West Coast defender Beau Waters is determined to play on next year despite being ruled out for the AFL season due to a recurring shoulder injury.
And Eagles forward Josh Hill is set to earn a recall for Saturday night’s clash with Geelong after star forward Mark LeCras re-injured his right arm.
Waters has endured a torrid time since undergoing a shoulder reconstruction last season.
The 28-year-old was forced to have the pins and screws prematurely removed when his shoulder became infected in December, and a fresh setback on Tuesday ended any hopes he would return this season.
Waters will need to wait for the infection in his shoulder to subside before undergoing another round of surgery.
But Eagles coach Adam Simpson said the 2012 All-Australian was desperate to return to the field next year
“I’ve got no doubt he’s doing it tough. But he has been through this thing before and we have full confidence that he can come back,” Simpson said.
LeCras will undergo scans after injuring his right arm in the first quarter of Saturday’s 25-point win over St Kilda at Patersons Stadium.
The 27-year-old fractured the same arm last year, and Simpson confirmed LeCras would miss several weeks with the latest setback.
Hill had played 42 of a possible 44 games for the Eagles since leaving the Bulldogs at the end of 2011.
But the 25-year-old’s underwhelming pre-season meant he was left out of the opening three rounds as West Coast raced to a 3-0 start.
Hill is almost certain to get his chance this week against the Cats, while Simpson is also weighing up whether to cut back to two ruckmen.
Simpson has played a three-prong ruck battery of Dean Cox, Nic Naitanui and Callum Sinclair for the opening three rounds, but the excess height seemed to play against them in Saturday’s win over St Kilda, especially when LeCras was subbed off early.
St Kilda were plucky in the 12.11 (83) to 8.10 (58) loss, but defender Sam Gilbert is set for another stint on the sidelines after re-injuring the foot he fractured in February.
The Saints sit 2-1 heading into Sunday’s home clash with Adelaide, and their strong early-season form suggests they won’t be headed for the wooden spoon after all.
The class of veterans Nick Riewoldt, Leigh Montagna and Lenny Hayes has been influential, but the emergence of youngster Luke Dunstan has been the shining light.
Dunstan tallied 29 possessions and two goals against the Eagles, while rookie Eli Templeton also appears destined to be a star of the future.
New coach Alan Richardson is pleased with how his squad is tracking, and hopes Jack Steven (foot) and Sam Fisher (hamstring) will be able to rejoin the side soon.
