West Coast star defender Brad Sheppard is excited about what the future holds for Oscar Allen.
Allen has now played 38 games for the Eagles including 15 in 2020, kicking the 18 goals as the third tall option inside 50 and backup ruckman.
With Josh Kennedy in the twilight of his career, Sheppard sees the 21-year-old as a player on the cusp of becoming the new face of the West Coast forward line.
“He’s really just biding his time to take over that forward line,” Sheppard told SEN Drive.
“He’s come back in really good shape. He seems a big unit at the moment, he’s a monster. We had our 2km time trial when we first got back and he was in the first half dozen, so he’s got a motor on him as well.
“He’s shaping up to have a really good year. He’s still in that phase of his career where he’s learning from Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling.
“Whether it’s this year or the year after, he’s going to be our number one target up forward, he’s such a presence and I’m really excited to see the development of Oscar.”
One of West Coast’s key additions in the trade period was Brisbane defender Alex Witherden.
Sheppard is now looking forward to training with him following his 14 days of quarantine.
“I’ve only seen him for a couple of sessions because he was in quarantine for a couple of weeks,” he said.
“For the minimal time I’ve got to see him, he moves well, he’s got a really good kick on him and he’s a really good decision maker.
“He’s going to fit in really well in our back six or seven, we probably need someone like him in our backline.
“It was a handy addition to pick him up.”