AN ERROR in judgement from Scott Lycett has seen him miss yet another opportunity to develop into the ruckman West Coast believes he is capable of becoming.
It is understood Lycett's indiscretion was not major, but he went against minimum team standards by having a very late night out following Saturday night's loss to Adelaide at Domain Stadium and will now play in the WAFL on Saturday.
It is the second time he will miss a game through an error in judgement this season after being suspended in round five for needlessly striking Richmond's Ty Vickery.
Match preview: Brisbane Lions v West Coast
This recent mistake should not threaten his place as the Eagles' second ruckman long-term, but it is another opportunity missed for the 23-year-old.
Lycett was a second-round draft pick in 2010 but struggled for opportunities in his first four years at West Coast due to the presence of Naitanui and Dean Cox.
He played just 10 games in his first three seasons but showed plenty of promise in 2014 playing 12 matches and kicking 13 goals. Cox retired at the end of that season and Lycett signed a four-year deal.
But he failed to grasp his chance in the first four games of 2015 and lost his place to Callum Sinclair. Lycett battled some groin problems later in the year and Sinclair cemented his place as Naitanui's partner.
Lycett played just two more matches for the season when Naitanui and Sinclair were unavailable.
When Sinclair was traded to the Sydney Swans for Lewis Jetta the spot was Lycett's once more and he has played well so far this season.
With Naitanui set to be sidelined for up to eight weeks due to injury, Eagles coach Adam Simpson said on Wednesday that a further opportunity had been presented for Lycett to fill the number one ruck role and develop himself into a player that could potentially shoulder a major ruck load in the future.
But Lycett's mistake has now opened the door for journeyman Jonathan Giles to play.
The current scenario the Eagles find themselves in is the exact reason Giles was recruited.
Giles, 28, played 54 games at Greater Western Sydney and Essendon and had also been on Port Adelaide's list. He was well aware when he was traded to West Coast that he was recruited as support for the first-choice duo.
Lycett's indiscretion opens the door for four-club ruckman Jonathan Giles. Picture: AFL Media
Giles acquitted himself well in his one game in the NAB Challenge but has bided his time in the WAFL since.
But now Lycett is playing in the WAFL for reasons other than form, Giles gets another chance at his fourth AFL club and youngster Fraser McInnes gets another opportunity to prove himself at AFL level.
Experienced defender Eric Mackenzie will also play his first WAFL match this season, and his first since 2011. He had played every game for West Coast in 2016 after missing all of last year following a knee reconstruction, but was a late withdrawal last week and has been forced to come back via the WAFL.
Mackenzie's last game in the state league was round seven, 2011. Since then he has won the Eagles' best and fairest in 2014 after finishing runner-up in 2013, and was an All Australian nominee in both seasons, before injuring his knee last year.
