West Coast set to sign East Fremantle star Milan Murdock through pre-season supplemental selection period

West Coast are set to sign East Fremantle star Milan Murdock as soon as today as they look to fill the final list spot ahead of the pre-season supplemental selection period deadline. The West Australian can confirm that the WAFL star will train with the team on Friday morning and almost certainly sign a rookie contract. West Coast have a vacant list spot after small forward Noah Long sustained a season-ending knee injury in the match simulation against the Dockers at the weekend. And the Eagles have decided against leaving the spot vacant until the mid-season draft, instead taking advantage of the extended SSP deadline of Monday to fill it. Murdock has long been in the Eagles’ sights, with coach Andrew McQualter believed to be a fan of the three-time Simpson medallist. The 25-year-old was almost recruited in last year’s mid-season draft by West Coast, undergoing an 11th hour medical after forward Jake Waterman was put on the inactive list just days earlier because of a serious shoulder injury. However, the Eagles overlooked Murdock and instead picked South Australian forward Jacob Newton with pick No.9, having taken Tom McCarthy with pick No.1. “On Wednesday I got another phone call from a one of these player managers I talk to (Luke) Morabito and he said ‘the inside word is they’re looking at potentially picking up a small forward with good pressure’,” Murdock told The West Australian last year. “It sounds like me. Newton was definitely on their radar and if he got picked up (elsewhere) I would have gone I am pretty sure. “All my mates were messaging me in group chats asking what’s going on. You don’t want to say anything because when it doesn’t happen it doesn’t mean anything so it was pretty surreal. “I felt like I was so close and I’ll keep trying anyway, it’s the dream. I am more driven than ever, I’ll do everything.” Murdock would go on to finish the season strongly for the Sharks, placing third in the Sandover Medal count and claiming a third Lynn Medal in four years as the club’s fairest and best. The premiership star could play as soon as Sunday for the Eagles, who have their final pre-season game against Port Adelaide at Mineral Resources Park. He averaged 27 touches and nearly eight tackles from 19 games to be one of the premier midfielders in the AFL.