West Coast's rebuild is at a critical juncture. This draft could make or break it

When Campbell Chesser secured his trade from West Coast to Carlton, a gaping hole in the West Coast Eagles' list profile was brought into sharp focus.

The club only has one player either selected with, or traded in exchange for, a first-round draft pick between 2015 and 2021 on its books.

In fact, just eight players recruited in that time remain at the club.

A lot is made of the Tim Kelly move, which saw the midfielder arrive from Geelong for first-round picks in 2019 and 2020.

It was that move which, when it didn't translate to another premiership, contributed to the dire position the club finds itself in now.

But it's not the sole decision the Eagles have made in their recruitment which, in 2025, saw them produce a calamity never seen before in VFL/AFL history — 22 losses in a single season.

Let me be clear — that is not a dig at Kelly.

He didn't dictate his trade value, and in his early years at the club was among its best players, acknowledged by his 2023 John Worsfold Medal, and runner-up finish in 2022. 

What it highlights is a list management strategy that hasn't paid off, and picks which haven't translated to long-term talent.

A brief history of picks

When West Coast won the 2018 premiership, it did so with eight first-round picks in its match-day squad, along with three others in Andrew Gaff, Nic Naitanui and Brad Sheppard on its list.

Jarrod Brander also played a game that year, after being pick 13 in the 2017 draft.

Compared to the 12 first rounders who played a game in 2018, the 2025 Eagles had just seven, with all but Liam Duggan and Tom Cole drafted since 2021.

That's reflected in the age profile of West Coast. Its premiership side had an average age of 26 with 2657 games between them.

The side that played in round 24 this season, which didn't include the injured Harley Reid, had an average age of 23 and with a thousand fewer games of experience.

The point here is twofold. It shows the Eagles are still very much at the beginning of the rebuild, and that this upcoming draft is critical for the club's future.

What is a successful draft?

Quantifying draft success is very difficult. Is it total games played by any given draft year? Premierships? Individual accolades? According to Draftguru, West Coast's 2005 draft is the best ever on record, by games played.

It was the draft that landed Matt Priddis and Shannon Hurn, and yielded an average of 136 games per player selected. 

That figure is clearly skewed by the 573 games played by Hurn and Priddis, but considering Steven Armstrong was in the Eagles' 2006 premiership side, and Matt Spangher went on to win a flag with Hawthorn, it was a very good draft.

Could Willem Duursma, widely tipped to be the draft’s first pick, have a similar impact as those two club greats?

Will he stay the journey and commit to the Eagles’ rebuild long term?

And who will they opt to take with pick two?

Ruckman/forward Cooper Duff-Tytler is predicted to be the second pick, and the ruck position has haunted West Coast since the breakdown and retirement of Nic Naitanui. 

But the midfield needs bolstering too, and that could see the Eagles making a move out of left field. 

Next Generation Academy prospects Tylah Williams and Koby Evans could also receive bids, as well as potential father-son recruit Charlie Banfield, who may end up in blue and gold like his dual-premiership winning father Drew. 

The Eagles' draft lotto ticket currently reads picks 1, 2, 13, 34 and 41.

We all know the odds of hitting the jackpot aren't great, but three and a supp would be a win for Eagles fans. 

It’s a draft full of huge questions for West Coast, and the answers won’t be known for years.