PREMIERSHIP hero Dom Sheed has spent more time training forward this pre-season as West Coast prepares to unleash Tim Kelly in its already star-studded midfield.   

Sheed, who kicked 16 goals in 24 games last season as a key player in the midfield, wants to become more versatile, knowing Kelly's arrival will make things "interesting" at selection. 

The 24-year-old finished eighth in West Coast's best and fairest in 2019 and hopes to improve again this season, with the ability to push forward shaping as his weapon in the premiership campaign. 

"We've got a lot of elite midfielders in our group and there's only so many who can fit in," Sheed said on Monday. 

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"So to either be able to go back or forward really helps you come selection time and every mid these days needs to have another string to their bow. 

"I'm trying to work on my midfield craft while being able to still play forward and do those sorts of things."

Kelly's arrival has boosted an already elite midfield group that boasts Norm Smith medallist and captain Luke Shuey and two-time All-Australians Andrew Gaff and Elliot Yeo. 

The former Geelong star has enjoyed a full pre-season alongside ruckman Nic Naitanui and Sheed was confident the stoppage specialists could form a strong connection early in the season. 

"It takes time, but there's no reason why we can't fast-track it," he said. 

"What we're doing out on the track at the moment, things are working, so hopefully we can keep progressing and work on that relationship. 

"What he (Kelly) does around stoppages and the way he covers the ground and can find the footy is just unbelievable. 

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"We've got the likes of Shuey and Yeo who are our bulls and explosive inside, but then you've got Tim Kelly, who is that crafty, smart midfielder who can sneak forward with the footy too."

Sheed has also enjoyed a full pre-season to this point and said he was happy with his progression as a player after 18 months as a key midfield cog. 

He said the Eagles had "something to prove" in 2020 after their premiership defence fell short last year.

"We feel like we're better than what we produced last year, so we're working on a lot of things on the track now to hopefully better ourselves," he said.

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The Eagles trained at their Lathlain base on Monday morning, with star defender Jeremy McGovern continuing to walk and jog slow laps as he recovers from surgery to fix a heel complaint. 

Josh Kennedy, who has shone this pre-season, was a notable absentee in the opening half-hour before the session was closed to media.