WEST Coast has high hopes that former first-round pick Elijah Hewett has put his injury woes behind him, while young star Harley Reid is progressing well after suffering a concussion last week.

Hewett, pick 14 in the 2022 draft, played 14 games in his debut season but didn't feature at all this year due to an ongoing foot issue.

But new Eagles coach Andrew McQualter said Hewett had completed all training sessions of the pre-season so far and hopes are high he can enjoy a breakout year in 2025.

"He's completed all the sessions so far ... which is terrific," McQualter told Gettable Draft Countdown on Tuesday. "He's given himself a chance to have a great year by the pre-season he's going to be able to do.

"He's struggled to stay on the park in the last couple of years, but we're really excited by what Elijah can do. He's incredibly powerful with a huge work rate."

Reid suffered a concussion in the first week of pre-season training last week but is expected to return to full training once he progresses through concussion protocols.

McQualter said the hype surrounding Reid is undeniable, but his early impressions of the 19-year-old have been positive.

"He clearly comes with a lot of fanfare, there's no doubt about that," he said. "But I can tell you he's incredibly grounded as well. He's a really good kid (and) he's humble.

"He's got to get to work, though, and just like the rest of our players, the expectations on Harley will be high to play his role in our team and we're excited to see him do that."

McQualter said Reuben Ginbey, another former first-round pick, will start 2025 in defence after impressing through the midfield in his two seasons at the club so far.

"He's some sort of athlete and competitor," McQualter said. "He's started really well, he's won almost every run we've had, he's strong in the gym.

"We'll start him in the back half, and we'll really settle him back there. If he progresses into the midfield later in his career, so be it. But we'll settle him in the back half to begin with."