WEST Coast believes the club's long history of retention success will give it the confidence to select the best available players in this year's national draft, as the Eagles ponder what direction they will take with their top selection.
The Eagles have an extensive history of recruiting players from outside Western Australia, kickstarting their current rebuild by taking Vic Metro's Campbell Chesser with the No.14 pick in 2021 before signing him to an extension through to 2025 early last year.
South Australian Shannon Hurn and Victorian trio Luke Shuey, Andrew Gaff and Liam Duggan are among a series of other West Coast players to have enjoyed long-term careers at the club, having arrived from interstate.
Speaking on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable earlier this week, West Coast list manager Rohan O'Brien said the numerous examples of interstate players committing to the Eagles gave them confidence to continue backing in their program.
"Yeah, absolutely it does. We've got a great record with our players over a long period of time and we'll back our club in to do the right things to retain players and keep them happy," O'Brien told Gettable.
Bendigo Pioneers and Vic Country gun Harley Reid looms as the likely No.1 pick later this season, with the country's top draft prospect the subject of ongoing discussion throughout the year around whether he would want to head interstate.
Reid has not told the Eagles – the current holders of this year's No.1 pick due to their position at the bottom of the ladder – of any concerns around moving to Western Australia and O'Brien said the club remains comfortable taking anyone with the top selection.
"In terms of what came up a few weeks ago, there's been no consideration at all. We've chatted to Harley and his family, only briefly, but there's been none of that and there's been none of that from any player in the draft pool," O'Brien said.
"You do your homework on all the players. Sometimes, we make that judgement a little bit as well in how we feel the boy might relocate. Even if – in their mind – they are really keen to relocate, you've got to weigh up a lot of things.
"But with Harley or anyone else, we've been really comfortable with all of the contact we've had so far and we don't think there are any concerns about things like that."
