AFLW: West Coast say change was necessary to move forward as Eagles predict rise into finals contention

West Coast believe they can contend for AFLW finals in two years after making the “strategic decision” to turn over nearly half of their playing list. Since claiming the 2022 wooden spoon, the Eagles have parted ways with 13 players through a mix of retirements, delistings and trade period exits. Defender Evie Gooch will also be unavailable for the upcoming season due to a wrist injury, meaning West Coast are one player shy of turning over 50 per cent of their playing list from last season. West Coast head of women’s football Michelle Cowan said an extensive off-season review deemed a list rebuild was necessary to take the club forward. Cowan also: -Forecast the Eagles would bounce back from their one-win season; -Revealed the club had invested significantly in the women’s program, shifting it from community to high-performance and had appointed full-time coaches; -Said the club was excited by the 2022 draft crop and likely number one WA prospect Ella Roberts. Cowan, who has headed up West Coast’s AFLW program for the past year and was an assistant coach before that, said the Eagles had to make significant changes to make progress. “We really reviewed last season, had a look at our playing group, our program and performance,” Cowan told The West Australian. “A lot of things had to change. We’ve seen that with a significant list change. “It was a strategic decision with our list management and recruitment. “At the end of the day, we’ve won four games in three years. We haven’t been performing at the level we’ve needed to be.” Cowan said the remaining players, who started pre-season this week alongside seven recruits, were committed to taking the club forward. “The playing group are invested and the condition they’ve come in is the best I’ve seen from them,” she said. As part of the club’s review, West Coast’s AFLW program will be shifted from its previous home in the community sector to high-performance alongside the Eagles’ men’s football department. “It seemed like the right step to progress our program. I’m really loving working alongside Gavin Bell. Mick (Prior) gets to work alongside Adam Simpson,” Cowan said. West Coast have appointed former backline coach Andrew Di Loreto in a new role as head of player development. Hockey Australia wellbeing manager Rohan McHugh will take over the backline, development coach Pia Faletti will take control of the forwards and Hamish Brayshaw retains his place as midfield coach. “The team that supports the team on and off-field, we’ve enhanced that. We believe we’re providing a professional environment and professional resources,” Cowan said. West Coast hold eight of the first 10 picks in the Western Australian draft pool and believe their incoming crop of draftees, likely to be headlined by WA MVP Roberts, can form the nucleus of a successful side for years to come. “She’s (Roberts) performed really well at the National Championships and continues to perform really well for Peel in the WAFLW. She’s got a lot of development to go through and a lot of growth,” Cowan said. “We want to create the environment where our players want to work hard together. They walk in the doors and they want to be the best possible footballers and people they can be and then they stay together in the long term. “We want to perform and win premierships. We believe we’ve got the right people to support them in that.”