Mitchell Woodcock: West Coast’s kids are good but they aren’t ready to compete with the men of the AFL

The kids are alright at West Coast. But they’re still kids and anyone thinking the tough times at the Eagles in 2026 were over got a reality check in the thumping defeat to Port Adelaide. AFL is a sport dominated by men. It is rare that a teenager is able to walk in and dominate from the start. Collingwood’s Nick Daicos is the most recent example, but he was fortunate enough to have the starpower of Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Jordan De Goey to lean on. West Coast’s youngsters are talented and, should all things be equal, they will eventually end the long suffering their faithful and passionate fans are going through. It’s still going to take a bit of time, and those who got a ticket for the pre-season clash at Mineral Resources Park were forced to watch as Zak Butters and Connor Rozee reminded them of this. Not only did the pair rack up the footy, but they used their size, strength and experience to slip tackles and completely massacre the Eagles’ midfield. West Coast’s injury-hit backline never stood a chance as Mitch Georgiades feasted on the silver service, continuing the incredible development that has him on the verge of being a star of the competition. Sadly for the Eagles, their best midfielder is still likely Elliot Yeo, and while his mind and determination is clearly there to be the best, he was unable to have the impact he once had. West Coast will hope a few extra weeks on the training track and a handful of games will help him find some of his past form, but it is unlikely he will ever be back to his all-conquering best. Harley Reid is the No.1 man in the middle now, and the attention from the opposition is going to be even more intense. And last year’s mature-age revelation Tom McCarthy found out that playing against your teammates and a powerful midfield are two entirely different things. If the Eagles want to look at things with a glass-half-full mentality, they can focus on moments which show glimmers of what they hope to be the norm in a few years time. Like No.1 draftee Willem Duursma intercepting the ball before streaming inside 50. Next time, they will just want him to finish with a goal. Or exciting young tall Cooper Duff-Tytler taking an impressive mark inside 50 and finishing with a goal in the third term. And Josh Lindsay’s impressive major not too long afterwards, to go with an impressive performance. These will be moments West Coast will highlight as they look continue the tumultuous rebuild. They will just know that time is still going to be needed before the tide turns.