West Coast champion Peter Sumich believes the Eagles’ premiership window is beginning to close.
Adam Simpson’s side went 1-3 to start the 2020 season before returning to Perth and cementing a finals place, but were eliminated by Collingwood in a one-point boilover at Optus Stadium.
Sumich suggests the Eagles need to make the most of an ageing team, particularly after having sacrificed multiple first-round draft selections to secure Tim Kelly.
“They should win the premiership,” he told the TABtouch Lounge on SEN Track.
“They’ve gone and got Kelly, they’ve got superstars in every area - forward, back and mid.
"If they don’t win it this year it’ll be a big disappointment. I thought they should have won it last year, (but) they bowed out pretty quickly to Collingwood in that first final.”
With star forward Josh Kennedy in the twilight of his career, Sumich says the Eagles must strike now before facing the prospect of a rebuild.
“They’ve put all their eggs in one basket right now, trying to win one," he said.
“Josh Kennedy, Shannon Hurn and the like are going to retire in 12 or 24 months time, it’s their time now to win it.
“(Beyond that) they’ll have to look at rebuilding, and where they’re at with that, I don’t know … the young kids coming through haven’t played a heap."