West Coast Eagles Chairman Paul Fitzpatrick has outlined the club’s plans ahead of this month’s AFL draft.
The Eagles hold two first-round picks - number eight and 12 - splitting their original selection in the trade period and will hope to bring in a pair of quality players that can make an immediate impact.
While the club has some positional needs, Fitzpatrick says the club will stick to the way it usually conducts itself at the draft by taking the best player available.
“Probably the same way that we normally go about it,” Fitzpatrick said on SENWA Mornings with Mark Duffield.
“That’s picking the best player that’s available when we get to each of the picks.”
While taking the best available will be the club’s method, Fitzpatrick confirmed that the Eagles would take a keen look at midfielders given that the top of the draft has plenty of quality on-ball options and that their current engine room is beginning to age.
“Yes,” Fitzpatrick said in response to whether the Eagles would consider midfield options.
“I’m sure the recruiters are having a very close look at whatever midfielders are available.
“I think that’s right (the first round of the draft possesses plenty of midfielders), that’s the feedback I’m getting.
“There’s a good number of midfielders in that first 15 (picks) that should be available.”
While there’s also set to be more than a handful of WA options taken in the draft, Fitzpatrick says the club won’t consider the ‘go-home’ factor and pick solely based on who the best prospect is, not taking into account where they hail from.
“No, I don’t think we’ve ever really taken that approach (to prioritise picking WA players),” Fitzpatrick said.
“It’ll be more about if for example with the number eight pick that we really wanted a midfielder, we’d take the best midfielder we could.”
While the Eagles won’t prioritise WA-based prospects, they are still right in the frame to select Dunsborough’s Reuben Ginbey who is a big-bodied midfield option that’s expected to be taken within the first 10 picks of the draft.
The 2022 National Draft will take place on November 28 and 29 in Melbourne.