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WEST Coast won't part with its first-round draft pick to acquire Hawthorn star Sam Mitchell, while defenders Mitch Brown and Eric Mackenzie are unlikely to be included in any trade with the Hawks.
The Eagles have signaled their interest in Mitchell for a playing role next season and possibly beyond before the 34-year-old makes the transition to coaching.
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The only sticking point is what the Eagles will need to send to the Hawks to complete the trade.
A second or third round selection – the Eagles currently have picks No. 33 and 51 – appear the most likely after West Coast's general manager of football, Craig Vozzo, told NAB AFL Trade Radio pick No.12 was off the table.
Vozzo also didn't expect Brown or Mackenzie to be squeezed out of the club to accommodate the trade.
"Probably not," Vozzo said.
"Mitch is an unrestricted free agent, so he's looking at all of his options.
"We hold (Mackenzie) in high regard and we hope to retain him."
Vozzo said determining the value of the trade was difficult given Mitchell's age and the move into coaching.
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"I don't know if it's simple to say he's worth pick x or player y," Vozzo said.
"It's a dual assessment in the sense of how he's playing from a footy perspective, then you've got to look at where he is at his stage of his career, where Hawthorn are as a footy club and his opportunities as a coach at our club.
"It's more of a case of putting all those factors together and coming up with a trade deal that suits three parties.
"We see him as a prospective coach for our football club when he finishes playing.
"For how long he plays for, that depends on a variety of factors."
The Eagles look to hold the upper hand in negotiations, with the Hawks keen to clear salary cap space to recruit Sydney Swans midfielder Tom Mitchell and Gold Coast's Jaeger O'Meara.
"We need to look at it pragmatically and commercially, as do they," Vozzo said.
"We will sit down and see what works for each party.
"Maybe they lose a bit, maybe they don't."
The Eagles will put Mitchell through a medical test once he returns from his holiday in New Zealand.
He is yet to tour West Coast's headquarters in Perth, but talks about securing Mitchell as a coach began about 12 months ago.
The five-time Hawks best and fairest adds plenty of class to an already potent Eagles midfield.
"The key thing for us is we'd like to add an A-grade midfielder to complement what we already have," Vozzo said.
"They're very hard to get.
"We see Sam as an A-grade midfielder and as an outstanding player."
