Patrick Naish is hoping to continue his AFL career at a third club after being delisted by West Coast.
Naish joined the Eagles as a pre-season supplemental selection but quickly found his feet in Perth, playing the first eight games of the season.
Following those eight games, Naish would feature just three more times – twice as the medical substitute – and the 23-year-old says he was frustrated to spend the second half of the season in the WAFL.
“Obviously, it was pretty disappointing but I’m keen to continue somewhere else,” Naish said on SEN The Run Home.
“I had a couple of patches that I wish I could have had again, but I guess I felt I had somewhat cemented myself in the team.
“To fall out of favour with Simmo (Adam Simpson) and to go back to WAFL was a bit frustrating for me, but I felt like I played some pretty good football in that time.”
Naish believes his form tailing off is what cost him his spot, but was disappointed that once he regained it in the state league that he wasn’t given another look in.
“For me, speaking to Simmo and the coaches it was probably my form,” Naish said.
“I felt like I probably had one or two games where my disposal wasn’t up to it and straight away, I was out of the side.
“That was pretty frustrating, but I guess for me it was going back to WAFL, rectifying those issues, which I felt I did.
“Unluckily for me, I didn’t get back into the side for the rest of the year.”
Along with his form, Naish believes he lost coach Adam Simpson’s trust with his kicking efficiency.
Priding his disposal as one of his strengths, Naish believes trying to pull off difficult kicks when the coach had queries on his ability to do so was something that worked against him.
“There might have been a patch against Richmond where I might have had a couple of turnovers in a row,” Naish said.
“Until that point, it was sort of a bit hard for me, I guess to get back on Simmo’s side in terms of my kicking.
“Early in the year Simmo sort of said, ‘Go out and do whatever you want with your kicking’, which I did, and I performed and did exactly that.
“But it was probably more taking simpler options when I got a bit excited.
“Early days particularly Simmo sort of let me play my own game, it was probably more when I had a couple of errors that’s when he sort of reigned it in a bit.
“I got a bit excited there, but that’s one of my strengths and it’s something I’m going to fall back to.
“I feel like it’s a real weapon and a strength of mine that I can use to help win games of footy for my team.
“That’s probably why I kept doing it, I felt it was what we needed and unfortunately for me, I fell out of favour with it.”
While it didn’t work out for him at West Coast, Naish says he is still hungry to play at the top level and he believes his strengths as a running outside midfielder suits where the game is headed.
“I still have the hunger and desire to get back in the league,” Naish said.
“I still feel I’ve got plenty of strengths to offer at the level with whatever club that wants me.
“Whatever team wants me I’d love to play for, I think the league is heading in a way where it’s all about quick ball movement and blokes who can use their running ability.
“I feel I’ve got the strengths to get back on a list and play some consistent footy at the level.”
Naish averaged 19.9 disposals from his nine full games for the Eagles in 2022.