WEST Coast recruit Keegan Brooksby jumped at the opportunity to reignite his AFL career and challenge for spot in the Eagles' ruck division.
The Eagles threw the 28-year-old a lifeline under the recently created pre-season supplemental selection period for previously listed players who have been off an AFL list for at least one season.
Brooksby, who played 14 games in three seasons with the Suns from 2015-17, will provide ruck depth after Scott Lycett's departure to Port Adelaide and while Nic Naitanui recovers from a second knee reconstruction.
The Eagles have also acquired former St Kilda ruckman Tom Hickey to go with premiership-winning big man Nathan Vardy and rookie Fraser McInnes.
NAB AFL DRAFT HUB Latest news, video and more
"All you can do is rock up and put your best foot forward and work hard and play some good football and see what happens," Brooksby told Adelaide radio station FIVEaa.
"Lycett leaving probably leaves them a bit vulnerable, and Nic Nat with his knee is going to be out for a percentage of the year at least.
"They've obviously got Tom Hickey from St Kilda, he's just gone across, and Nathan Vardy and Fraser McInness on the rookie list as well and now myself.
"Between us and until Nic Nat gets back, there's going to be a fair bit of competition.
"Speaking to West Coast and the officials and some of the staff there, the opportunity that presents itself is something that regardless of the location, is something that I had to jump at and continue on the football journey that's taken me from one coast to another."
Naitanui tore the ACL in his right knee in the Eagles' round 17 win against Collingwood at the MCG on July 15.
WHO WILL YOUR CLUB TAKE? Callum Twomey's 2018 Phantom Draft
He also missed the entire 2017 season recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee.
The 198cm Brooksby grew up playing basketball before turning to football with South Adelaide and getting selected by the Suns in the 2015 rookie draft.
He was thrown into the deep end, playing in defence and up forward, before being delisted at the end of 2017.
Brooksby returned to South Adelaide and had a superb season this year, named as captain of the SANFL team of the year and leading the League in hit-outs with 34.4 per game, to go with averages of 15 disposals and five marks.
DRAFT MACHINE Pick the top 10, win $10K
"Playing more football naturally makes you a better player, especially in my case – I hadn't had a full football upbringing," he said.
"I played basketball a lot and played 70 league games of football before I got to the Gold Coast.
"I went as a ruckman, and had to spend time in the backline, which I had never, ever done at all, and as I progressed, played forward a little bit, which was really quite foreign as well, combine that with the ruck stuff.
"I think leaving and coming back to the SANFL has certainly made me a better all-round player."
Brooksby will move to Perth next week before officially joining the Eagles on December 1.
