Winged Eagles feel the pain

Counting the cost of a calamitous practice match, West Coast will be without at least eight first-team players for the start of the season.

The Eagles expect to lose Dom Sheed and Campbell Chesser for the “medium term” but are still uncertain of the prognosis on Elliott Yeo. All three suffered similar lower-leg/ankle injuries in the practice match loss to Fremantle on Friday night.

West Coast’s Dom Sheed during the practice match against Fremantle on Friday.Credit:AFL Photos

A club source said indications were that Sheed and Chesser were “medium term” but they remained hopeful on Yeo.

The trio joined an already long list of injuries – key forward Oscar Allen has a foot problem and was only due to come out of a moon boot this week, Jack Darling has been sidelined for his refusal to be vaccinated.

Jamie Cripps had surgery on a torn pectoral muscle last week, Liam Duggan is still coming back from a knee injury, forward Tom Cole has ankle ligament damage and will be out at length.

Campbell Chesser clutches at his ankle.Credit:AFL Photos

Captain Luke Shuey is also doubtful as he recovers from a hamstring strain. While that injury occurred a month ago, Shuey’s injury history has put him on a modified program.

The 31-year-old has suffered seven soft-tissue injuries in the last 18 months and has played just 20 games in the last two years.

Liam Ryan missed Friday’s practice match due to COVID-19 isolation.

Coach Adam Simpson has also said the club will need to be careful in how it manages and rests ageing stars Josh Kennedy and Shannon Hurn.

“They don’t look great, all lower-leg injuries. We’ll get them scanned. We are having a bad run at the moment,” Simpson said after the match on Friday night.

“For round one obviously there’s a concern for availability and personnel trying to get a team. We will be right, we will get a team, we will be OK.

“It hasn’t happened to us for a long period of time, the amount of injuries we have had. We are not going to live off the fact we are missing some players, we have got to get better.

“I don’t think we can blame anyone [for injuries]. I think it’s just unfortunate luck at the moment. It’s not a heap of soft-tissue injuries or something we are doing in the gym, it’s these collision injuries that happen in football. We have a cluster at the moment, so that’s the way it is.”

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