West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has provided the latest on young star Harley Reid following an injury scare at training on Friday.
Reid was unable to complete the session and required medical treatment on the sidelines, with the Eagles to assess the matter and monitor their second-year gun.
The club is confident Reid has avoided an injury, however no risks will be taken given the 2023 No.1 pick has already faced setbacks this pre-season.
Concussion and leg concerns have limited Reid, who was ramping up his workloads since the new year ahead of a highly anticipated campaign in the blue and gold.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports, McQualter said Reid looks to have avoided a setback from match simulation.
"It's not an injury, we don't think. We think he's OK but he didn't complete training. He's a bit sore," he said.
"He's done a big chunk of work since Christmas, he missed a few weeks unfortunately with concussion pre-Christmas, which was another thing that we were managing.
"But he's been able to get a large portion of work in and he's setting himself up for a good year.
"The reality is, the kid's 19 years old, he's still building his core fitness base which will take a period of years to gather."
The Eagles have also closely monitored former first-round pick Elijah Hewett this summer, with the third-year Eagle coming off a heavily interrupted season that saw him miss 2024 with a foot issue.
The local product has steadily improved over the course of the pre-season to have himself in the mix for an early season return.
"He's been terrific, he's been able to complete almost every part of his plan this pre-season," McQualter said of the Swan Districts graduate.
"He's really putting in the work. He's a powerful young footballer but we just haven't been able to see much of that at AFL level.
"He' still got a long way to go, you've got to remember he hasn't played much, but there's some really impressive signs."
Both Hewett and Reid loom as players ready to take on larger roles in midfield under McQualter, especially in the wake of Elliot Yeo's recent knee and ankle injury.
Yeo could miss the start of the Eagles' first season under their new coach, giving their younger ranks the chance to prove their value this pre-season in his absence.
McQualter said the young Duo are part of a larger group making their case for a Round 1 feature in midfield.
"We've got some real depth in our midfield," the Eagles coach said.
"Right now there's a lot of guys who are training well. The obvious ones are Tim Kelly, Harley Reid, Jack Graham, Liam Duggan, Elijah Hewett, Tom Gross, Jack Hutchinson... the list sort of goes on.
"We tried to [pick a team] over the last few weeks and it's difficult, so I think the next month and some practice matches will give us a clear indication on what Round 1 looks like."
The Eagles are set to face Richmond and North Melbourne as part of their pre-season schedule in the build-up to a Round 1 bout against Gold Coast on Sunday, March 16.
