WAFL lists revamp set to foreshadow West Coast Eagles concessions ahead of 2022 season
John Townsend
WAFL clubs will lose three players from their primary registration lists next year as the WA Football Commission moves closer to providing West Coast with significant recruiting concessions for their retained reserves team.
Under the current WAFL rules, clubs must nominate 40 senior players who cannot be recruited by rival clubs without mutual agreement and a transfer fee.
But that list will be reduced to 37 players next season as part of a competition move to make it easier for players to shift clubs.
It is designed to help struggling teams like Perth become more competitive.
The move comes as clubs prepare for concessions designed to improve the quality of top-up players available to West Coast.
The Eagles were set to abandon their reserves team next year, with listed players returning to their original WAFL clubs when not required for AFL matches, but were forced to change their plans this week when Perth and East Perth refused to house West Coast’s interstate players.
West Coast were adamant that their interstate players had to play together but Perth’s board was opposed to any playing arrangements with their Mineral Resources Park co-tenant.
And senior East Perth players and potential recruits vetoed the club’s interest by saying they would not be part of an AFL host club.
Two West Coast top-up options are now likely to be considered with WAFL rather than amateur clubs the most likely source of players.
The first and most likely option is that each WAFL club will be required to loan one or two senior players to the Eagles.
Those players may either be part of the new 37 list or unprotected members of the club.
But a second option is gaining traction after being identified by several clubs as a method to promote and develop young players without compromising their league squads.
Under the proposal, members of the State 18s programme would be loaned to West Coast – either in their draft year or the season following if they were not drafted.
“A lot of these players would not be ready for league football at their clubs but they are clearly talented and might be good enough to help West Coast while their development is fast-tracked,” one club official said.
“It also gives West Coast the chance to have a closer look at players they might want to draft themselves.”
West Coast played an average of nine listed players in each match this season.
That number is likely to increase by at least two next year given the Eagles spent much of this season with Willie Rioli and Dan Venables as non-playing members of their senior list.
They have lost 2021 WAFL captain Hamish Brayshaw, who signed with East Perth this month, while delisted premiership midfielder Mark Hutchings is set to return to West Perth unless he receives an AFL lifeline at the upcoming drafts.
