SAM MITCHELL'S immediate impact at West Coast is likely to see the former Hawthorn champion voted directly into the Eagles' leadership group, coach Adam Simpson says.

Mitchell, the Hawks' 2008 premiership captain, has been a standout at Eagles training over summer after his bombshell trade.

The 34-year-old will eventually join West Coast's assistant coaching ranks when his playing days are over, and Simpson declared Mitchell has already become an extension of the coaching staff. 

"Already he's having an impact around the club, so he's exactly what I thought he'd be," Simpson said.

"He has empathy for the player and he can educate, which, when you have a player like that who can extend your coaching ranks on-field, I think he complements our leaders really well. 

"All of our leaders have that ability as well, so he just adds to the numbers – along with Drew (Petrie).

"(Mitchell) won't be captain, but there's a strong chance that he gets voted in by the players to be one of our leaders.

"He's fitted in really well. We know his history and his credentials as a Hawthorn player, but he's settled into the club and the state really well." 

The Eagles are set to vote on their leaders in the coming weeks, with incumbent Shannon Hurn favoured to retain the captaincy. 

West Coast is building towards a JLT Community Series opener against Greater Western Sydney on February 18, and Simpson has thrown open competition for spots ahead of a round one showdown against North Melbourne.

Roos great Petrie is firming as a likely starter against his ex-teammates after a standout pre-season, but Simpson denied the 34-year-old has had a point to prove at training after being cut by North.

"When you watch Drew for the first time you think that, but that's how he's trained for 15 years," he said.

"He very rarely misses training, very rarely misses playing. Whether we can get him back to his glory-day form will be another question, but he's done everything right so far."

Petrie and ex-Cats ruck-forward Nathan Vardy were targeted in the off-season to cover for injured ruckmen Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett.

Lycett remains on track for an early-season return after his PCL reconstruction, while Naitanui is set to have a training partner in coming weeks when Simon Tunbridge joins the star big man in rehab from an ACL reconstruction.

Naitanui underwent a traditional ACL repair after going down in round 22 last season, while Tunbridge had a hybrid LARS operation in December in a bid to save his career after 10 games in four injury-plagued seasons.

"He's probably going to catch up to Nic's level in the next four or five weeks. It's a quicker recovery time, so he should get some footy into him by halfway through the season," Simpson said.

"I suppose running is the next (step for Naitanui) and he's still getting strength through the muscles around the knee.

"That has its ups and downs all the time, so he's about where we thought he'd be."