After trading Pick 3 during the player movement period, West Coast fans are hoping for a fruitful return from this year's AFL Draft as the struggling Eagles prepare to open their haul midway through night one of the count.
The trade - which saw the Eagles secure Liam Baker and Matt Owies - has left the Perth powerhouse starting their intake at Pick 12, with four more selections available for night two of the draft.
The Eagles, who have kickstarted their new era under coach Andrew McQualter, will be hoping to find the needed talent that can complement their recent draft additions of Harley Reid, Reuben Ginbey and Elijah Hewett.
With multiple areas of West Coast's list in need of strengthening, we assess how the Eagles could pursue this year's draft.
Picks: 12, 26, 72, 77, 87, 92
The questionable trade that saw the Eagles move back from Pick 3 to 12th overall has left many wondering who the club may have an eye on halfway through the first round of the draft.
They will follow that selection approximately 14 spots later in the early stages of the second round, holding Pick 26 - a selection that should give the Eagles access to a teenager who may be rated as a first-round pick in years gone by.
West Coast's other selections fall in the fourth round and could be used to attain Next Generation Academy prospect Malakai Champion out of Subiaco.
Pick 72 is the second last selection in the draft with attributed value points, while the selection, and following ones, will likely advance their place in the draft order - and therefore increase in draft points - following an array of bids on father-son and Academy prospects earlier in the count.
The Eagles hold Hawthorn's first and second-round picks for the 2025 draft as well as their own, giving them the capital to potentially rejoin the early stages of this month's count.
Dynamic Midfielder: The Eagles are yet to piece together their engine room for the future. While the additions of the aforementioned Reid, Ginbey and Hewett each offer differing traits that are sure to excite, further pieces through the middle that can also offer a point of difference or some versatility may be what's needed in the next step of West Coast's rebuild. This year's draft class is brimming with strong onballers who have qualities that separate them from the rest of the pack, and West Coast are in line to secure one with their opening selection.
Key Defender: The loss of Tom Barrass is significant and worrying for McQualter's backline for the 2025 season. The John Worsfold Medal winner departs and leaves veteran Jeremy McGovern to lead from the last line, with Harry Edwards maturing this year and expected to step up once again. Life after McGovern - who turns 33 in April - needs to be settled on, with West Coast coughing up 114 first-half points against Geelong in Round 24 when they were without both Barrass and McGovern. A fresh key defender who can work with Edwards after McGovern departs might be an area to focus on for the Eagles.
Forward Spark: West Coast has been searching for more ground-level forward threats in recent years and is yet to strike gold, with the addition of Matt Owies hopefully the right move. 2023 trade recruit Tyler Brockman struggled to fire and faced several distractions in his first year back in WA, while Liam Ryan could only conjure the 13 majors from his 16 games. Some more competition for small forward spots could be needed at Lathlain Park, ideally lighting a fire under the likes of Brockman, Ryan and youngster Tyrell Dewar.
Bo Allan: WA's top prospect for 2024, Allan is supposed to have interest from the Eagles after a stellar season at the U18s National Championships and for Peel Thunder, who he won a premiership medal with. Allan entered the year as a promising defensive prospect who can play tall and use his footy smarts and power to his advantage. By the end of the year, Allan was viewed as one of the better midfielders as he made a seamless transition to the middle of the field, proving his worth as a dual-position threat. If Allan is available at the Eagles' first pick, it'll be hard to see them overlook Halls Head native. If not Allan, then Bendigo Pioneers dasher Tobie TRavaglia is another name for West Coast to potentially move on.
Noah Mraz: A tall defender who had a luckless year on the injury front, Mraz started 2024 as a potential first-round selection and may prove to be a steal come draft night after sliding back due to a foot injury. The Dandenong Stingrays tall is a good intercept and lockdown backman who even flexed his versatility by pinch-hitting in the ruck - another area that needs addressing at West Coast. Mraz was part of the AFL Academy this season and managed to return from his injury in time for the AFL Draft Combine, where he tested well in the 2km time trial and vertical leap.
Malaki Champion: The Subiaco small forward is tied to the Eagles as part of their Next Generation Academy, with a bid from West Coast still no certainty. It is likely the Eagles match any rival's play for Champion, though, with a bid likely to come in the second half of the draft. Champion, who booted seven goals in five WAFL games for the Lions, is an agile and pace goalsneak who would bring some X-factor to the Eagles' front half. The Eagles might have enough draft points to match a bid for Champion with their last pick, while they could take him as a rookie should he be overlooked at the national intake.