WEST Coast will aim to integrate young midfielder Campbell Chesser into match simulation training by the end of next month with the hope of playing in at least one of the club's two pre-season games.
Coach Adam Simpson said there was no pressure on the second-year talent being available for round one, however, as he continues to work his way back from serious bone and ligament damage in his right foot last February.
Chesser was among a group of Eagles, including Tom Cole, Shannon Hurn, Liam Duggan and Jake Waterman, who did not take part in a match simulation session behind closed doors at Mineral Resources Park on Wednesday.
Simpson said the 19-year-old, who was recruited with pick No.14 in the 2021 NAB AFL Draft, was ready to start a solid block of training with the main group, however, as he targets his AFL debut this season.
"He's naturally pretty fit, so we'll start seeing some match play at the end of February maybe," Simpson said on Wednesday.
"He'll get through a good training block, which he's probably ready for now, and then we'll see how we go.
"Without putting any pressure on the kid, let's just see him train and see what he can bring. Hopefully he gets some pre-season games in.
"But it's not all about round one, especially for someone like 'Chess', who is still building from that injury he had this time last year."
Chesser is among a group of young Eagles who will have opportunities in 2023 as the club ushers in a "new era" and balances development in a team that still includes several senior stars.
While the club's new draftees have impressed since joining the club, Simpson said it was still too early to tell how AFL-ready they were, urging patience with standout youngster Reuben Ginbey.
"Physically he's in the top couple for speed and the top couple for endurance, and he's 190cm. But he's 18, so we won't put too much pressure on him," the coach said.
"He's got the capability to play this year, for sure … there's definitely some opportunities there.
"I think we've managed them (the draftees) reasonably well with trying to prevent them getting injured. We're still building in that sense.
"It's probably more the guys who have been around for a couple of years and seeing what they've got, as well as the first years."
To make way for young midfielders this year, Simpson said there was potential to shift captain Luke Shuey to half-back, while the club would consider using Elliot Yeo in a similar role.
Yeo has been training at a high level since the Christmas break, with evidence his power as a midfielder has returned to an extent after a long and frustrating run with soft tissue injuries.
"He's in a good block. Touch wood we get through today, but he hasn't missed a beat since Christmas. It's been a slow build," Simpson said.
"We thought Elliot coming back for four or five games and playing down back was really good for him to get back into the groove.
"And Luke, we did play him at half-back for a few games last year too, it just went unnoticed … it was pretty successful at the time, so we might look at it."
In the ruck, Bailey Williams and Cal Jamieson are fighting for the support role alongside Nic Naitanui, who was due to play 40-50 minutes of Wednesday's match simulation.
Simpson said there was no timeframe on the return to training of young defender Rhett Bazzo, who is grieving the loss of his mother in a tragic boating accident at the weekend.
"We’re supporting him as much as we can as a club and his family is a priority," Simpson said.
"We'll give him as much time as he needs with his family. Football is not the priority right now for him.
"We'll play a bit of a scratch match today and we'll keep moving forward, but understanding the sensitivity around it all is with our players as well and his mates."
