RHYLEE West is a step closer to joining the Western Bulldogs after the club officially nominated him as a father-son.
AFL.com.au has confirmed the AFL has approved the Dogs' paperwork nominating the son of Scott West as a possible father-son selection at next month's NAB AFL Draft.
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The club will now wait to see where a bid comes for West before deciding whether to match it during the draft, with it expected to come somewhere late in the first round or early in the second round.
The Dogs' second pick is No.27, which could slide up several spots if a bid came around pick No.20.
West is a small and powerful midfielder who averaged 22 disposals at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships for Vic Metro.
His father, Scott, won seven best and fairests in an illustrious 324-game career with the Bulldogs.
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"It's great to know they want me at the footy club, so it's very exciting," West told AFL.com.au.
"(The nomination) makes me ecstatic, as it gives me a chance to play at the highest level.
"I told them in a meeting recently I wanted to play at the Dogs, and I guess they were in a position to do that. It's very special."
The Dogs look set for a strong draft next month, sitting in a good position with their first pick (No.7 overall) set to land one of the leading talents in the pool.
Midfielders Jye Caldwell and Bailey Smith, plus the versatile Connor Rozee and key-position prospect Ben King could all come under consideration at that selection.
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They also have access to Next Generation Academy player Buku Khamis, a sweeping half-back who could attract a bid in the third round of the draft.
There will be a smattering of father-sons nominated by clubs ahead of next week's October 31 deadline, including Bailey Scott at North Melbourne, Will Kelly at Collingwood and Oscar Brownless at Geelong.
However, the Lions are unlikely to nominate Casey Voss (the son of Michael) and James Rendell (son of Matt) for the national draft, and the same for Sydney with its father-son candidate Kyle Dunkley (son of Andrew).
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