WINGED ruckman Scott Lycett was unsighted at West Coast training on Monday, but journeyman Jonathan Giles appeared to have pulled up well after returning from a thumb injury for East Perth.
The Eagles' depleted ruck stocks took another hit on Saturday when Lycett – also in his comeback game from a PCL reconstruction - went down with a dislocated shoulder in the second term.
However, Giles stepped up to shoulder the ruck load, winning 49 hit-outs in the Royals' practice match win over East Fremantle.
Fifteen of his taps went to advantage, as Giles kept himself in the frame to face North Melbourne in the season-opener after suffering the thumb setback early last month.
The four-club big man will have one more chance to stake his claim in East Perth's round one WAFL clash with Fremantle-aligned Peel Thunder this Saturday.
However, unseating Nathan Vardy and Drew Petrie will be a challenge after the recruits' impressive JLT Community Series performances.
All three trained lightly on a sandy Domain Stadium surface on Monday in an hour-long skills-based session.
Giles walked laps and took part in some light handball exercises, while Petrie and Vardy kicked together away from the main group.
But Lycett was a notable absentee.
The Eagles, who are yet to reveal the severity of his injury, could be down to three fit ruckmen, with Nic Naitanui (ACL) ruled out for most, if not all, of the season.
Rookie-listed 197cm forward Fraser McInnes shapes as the next best back-up ruck option.
Elsewhere, the Eagles' match committee is facing a tight selection squeeze for round one.
After sitting on the bench for the entirety of West Coast's final pre-season match on Thursday, midfielder Jack Redden racked up 39 touches – 24 contested – with 10 clearances for East Perth.
The 26-year-old and third-year onballer Liam Duggan (one goal) are aiming to force their way into the Eagles' engine room which looked slick in pre-season wins over Fremantle and Melbourne.
Young key backman Tom Barrass (11 disposals, six spoils) and Will Schofield (23 disposals) are also trying to break into the side, with Eric Mackenzie preferred as Jeremy McGovern's key defensive partner for the Demons clash.
Sam Butler was also left out of West Coast's win over Melbourne. The veteran backman picked up a calf injury last week but trained on Monday.
Father-son draftee Jake Waterman briefly appeared at Domain Stadium but the youngster wasn't in club attire and didn't train due to a foot injury, with the club still awaiting the results of scans.
Powerful forward Simon Tunbridge joined in some stationary handball drills and didn't have a bandage on his left knee, which was reconstructed with hybrid LARS surgery in December.
Naitanui and Willie Rioli (hamstring) weren't sighted on the track.
