WITH only one pre-season hit-out remaining, the clock is ticking for West Coast coach Adam Simpson to fit the pieces of the Eagles' ruck puzzle together before round one.

In a somewhat unexpected scenario after last year's ruck crisis, Simpson has four genuine options for the season-opener – each with varying degrees of fitness, size and ruck experience – as well as some key questions that need to be answered.

Coming back from injuries, will Scott Lycett and Jonathan Giles get enough game minutes under their belts to be ready to go in round one against North Melbourne?

Do the Eagles, with their strengthened onball division, necessarily need to rely on an established big man to combat Roos star Todd Goldstein and co.?

Or could reprogrammed tall forwards Nathan Vardy and Drew Petrie be trusted to do the job after a pre-season of tutelage from Dean Cox?

Fully fit, Lycett is the obvious candidate to lead the ruck this season in spring-heeled star Nic Naitanui's long-term absence.

The 24-year-old pushed through a lingering knee issue to play 21 matches last year, averaging 19 hit-outs and threatening in attack with 14 majors.

But coming off a PCL reconstruction the Eagles are unlikely to rush the 203cm big man back for Thursday night's JLT Community Series clash with Melbourne.

Instead, he could be eased back in a WAFL practice match this Saturday and push his case again in East Perth's season opener on March 18 – eight days before the Eagles kick-off their campaign at Etihad Stadium.

Would state league form alone be enough to convince Simpson he's ready to go for round one?

Meanwhile, after an untimely thumb setback, Giles could make his first pre-season appearance in a tough audition against Demons giant Max Gawn.

The four-club journeyman starred in a gripping round 23 win against the Crows last season, tried his heart out in the elimination final and many fans had him pencilled in for the season-opener a long way out.

But Giles' thumb injury opened the door for Vardy, who has barely put a foot wrong against the Giants and Freo.

The talented 25-year-old hasn't looked out of place competing at centre bounces or around the ground and, importantly, the injury-plagued former Cat has backed up his gameday workload on the training track.

As it stands, Vardy appears right in the mix for a club debut against the Roos.

So where does that leave 316-game 'rookie' Petrie ahead of what would be an emotional return to face his old club?

The 34-year-old was a solid performer in his only JLT hit-out so far, picking up 11 touches, winning seven hit-outs and covering plenty of territory in scorching heat against the Dockers as a back-up ruckman.

Standing 197cm, Petrie gives away height to the AFL's big boys, and he was given no guarantees of a regular senior berth before crossing the country to Perth.

But his work ethic at training has been unquestionable and Petrie's forward craft alongside Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling could give the Eagles an extra dimension in attack.

At the risk of being top-heavy, might West Coast use the former Roo solely as a forward, and play two other ruckmen? Simpson hasn't ruled it out.

So where do the pieces fit? The puzzle should become clearer this Thursday night at Domain Stadium.