By Tyler Lewis

Copyright news

The Eagles have received an end-of-first-round draft selection, which stands at pick 19, as well as four additional rookie spots for seasons 2026, 2027 and 2028.

West Coast already has pick No.1 for finishing last and will likely receive pick 2 in compensation after Oscar Allen commits to Brisbane later this week.

AFL general manager Greg Swann said the package was designed to revive the Eagles.

“It is important that we have a competitively balanced competition and that fans can feel that on any day, in any game, their team can win.” Swann said.

“The Eagles have won only nine games in the past three seasons and finished in the bottom three of the ladder in the past four seasons.

“We have been working with the club on how assistance can improve their on-field performance to return to being competitive.

“This package is structured to assist the club in the development of their younger playing group. By adding the four additional rookie list spots it allows them to invest in additional talent.”

The additional rookie spots are to be funded by the club and would need to fall within the salary cap.

An AFL spokesperson concluded the announcement with the disclaimer: “The AFL reserves the right to review or alter the provision of support in 2027 and 2028 should there be a material change to the circumstances under which they were provided.”

West Coast Eagles chief executive Don Pyke said the club was committed to using the assistance responsibly.

“Submitting an assistance request was not a decision we took lightly, and the Club accepts and takes responsibility for previous decisions which contributed to our current situation of four successive years of bottom-three finishes,” he said.

“There have been comprehensive changes at senior levels of our Club and Football Department recently, including the appointments of our senior coach Andrew McQualter and Head of Football John Worsfold.

“Our submission highlighted factors – such as the compromised nature of recent national drafts – that have increased the challenge of rebuilding our playing list, while also considering the broader implications for the competition of sustained poor on-field performance.

“Equalisation is a core pillar of the AFL and, as such, we believed our Club qualified for assistance, which we are committed to using responsibly in alignment with our clear list management strategy to take us forward.

“We also continue to invest significantly in our Football Department, above the Soft Cap, and are building a strong development culture to improve our current situation as quickly as possible.”

While the Eagles seem likely to lose Allen as well as premiership forward Liam Ryan, they did secure the sought-after signature of young star Harley Reid.