Where's the club at?
Michael Braun has retired, while Steven Armstrong, Chad Jones and James Thomson have been issued with their pink slips.
A 15th-placed finish tells you West Coast aren't challenging for a flag next year, so they need to rebuild. Expect them to do that via the draft, as even if they do a couple of trades, the asked-for currency is expected to be picks rather than established players.
Needs
The Eagles clearly need some pace in the midfield and a key forward to build their attack around – Quinten Lynch finished the season in the midfield while Ash Hansen struggled all year.
The backline is fine, although it is hampered by the constant need to throw Adam Hunter forward to patch holes at the front end.
Daniel Kerr and Matt Priddis have struggled as a direct result of the lack of depth through the midfield, because opposition teams could concentrate their tagging on the two of them.
Tradeable commodities
West Coast never do a lot in trade week – unless they're forced into it, as they were last year – and this year looks like it will be quiet too. The club needs to rebuild, so they're unlikely to be offloading picks, but a couple of quality players are possibilities.
Speculation has surrounded Daniel Kerr all year, however he has since signed a long-term deal with the club and won't be going anywhere.
Mark Seaby is a high-class ruckman who has attracted the eye of several clubs and should be worth a decent amount at the trade table.
What the club says
"Like most clubs, we don't know what's going to take place at this stage. Every one of our players, on our list, is contracted.
"Clubs may investigate Mark Seaby, who has indicated he may like another opportunity else to gain greater game-time, but we're not going to give him away for nothing." – Recruiting manager Trevor Woodhouse.
Crystal ball trades
Farren Ray has said he wants to move on. He’s a Perth boy and would appear a nice fit at West Coast. Might the Dogs and Eagles strike a deal?
Seaby is also apparently wanting to play full-time AFL as the number-one ruckman, and he'd be a good get for a side like the Dogs, who could offer Ray as a partial trade.
Richmond is said to be another club interested in the premiership ruckman. The Tigers may offer pick 26 and a young midfielder, but that may not be enough, so an earlier pick would need to be found.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
More trade talk
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Trade week runs from October 6-10, 2008. Please note, no trades are official until paperwork has been accepted by the AFL and formally recognised after 2pm on Friday, October 10.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
