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The winless West Coast have lost nearly half a side’s worth of top talent for their clash against reigning premiers Subiaco at Optus Stadium on Saturday.
Among their 10 changes is the loss of eight AFL players from their 38-point loss to Claremont last weekend, with AFL selection and illness again hitting the side.
Willie Rioli, Rhett Bazzo, Luke Foley, Dom Sheed and Jack Petruccelle have all been called up for AFL duties, while mercurial forward Liam Ryan and Sam Petrevski-Seton are sick.
Ruckman Luke Strnadica is out again, this time because of COVID-19, while WAFL captain Zane Sumich has a serious hamstring injury that will sideline him for nearly two months.
It has left the Eagles with few key position players, with first-year forward Jack Williams named in the ruck, while defender Josh Rotham has been pencilled in to start at full forward.
The team could get up to three of the AFL emergencies in Foley, Greg Clark, Jackson Nelson and Alex Witherden as late inclusions should they be released.
Subiaco star Harry Marsh’s comeback from a hernia lasted just four games, with the 28-year-old sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Premiership player Max Walters returns from suspension, while ruckman Lewis Putt has been called into the league team for the first time since round four.
Meanwhile, East Perth have turned to former Claremont forward Matt Palfrey as they look to cover the loss of mid-season draftee Sebit Kuek.
Palfrey, 26, kicked 40 goals from 41 games for the Tigers between 2015 and 2019 before returning to Albany where he has starred in the local league.
He will suit up for the Royals reserves side against Peel Thunder in Mandurah on Saturday, with hopes he could play league before the end of the season as a replacement for Kuek, who is now at the Thunder after being drafted by the Dockers earlier this month.
Palfrey has kicked 23 goals in six games for Railways in the Great Southern Football League and won the Kleemann Medal as the league’s best and fairest in 2020.
East Perth have welcomed back skipper Jackson Ramsay from a calf injury but forward Nick Robertson will miss again with a groin complaint.
South Fremantle skipper Dylan Main is back from a hamstring injury for the Bulldogs’ clash with Perth at Fremantle Community Bank Oval, replacing star Jake Florenca (hamstring).
The Demons have made two changes, losing Michael Sinclair (kidney) and Jordan Busher (hamstring) but have regained former Fremantle and Collingwood forward Chris Mayne.
Zac Guadagnin (arm) and Rudy Riddoch (leg) will miss West Perth’s big clash against Swan Districts in Joondalup, while Swans have regained Brayden Noble, Tom Edwards and Anthony Stephens from injury.
