West Coast Eagle Elliot Yeo is finally back from injury so Andrew McQualter must find him the perfect role

Where to next for Elliot Yeo? Of all the questions that need to be answered during West Coast’s two pre-season hit outs before round one, finding a job for Yeo that will help him to both excel and stay healthy are among the most important. Being both healthy and in-form have been a massive challenge for Yeo since 2020. He’s played some brilliant footy at times, received Brownlow Medal votes and won a Glendinning-Allan Medal, but he’s also paid a high price with Yeo’s body consistently letting him down. Now 32 years old, Yeo is returning to action for what is now a totally different club. His last game was in 2024 and since then, Tom Barrass, Oscar Allen, Jack Darling and Liam Ryan have all moved to other clubs while Jeremy McGovern, Andrew Gaff and Dom Sheed have retired. He’s got a new coach too. Yeo is yet to play any footy under Andrew McQualter. He’s also yet to play with new co-captain Liam Baker, or mid-season recruit Tom McCarthy and has barely been on the field with Elijah Hewett. McCarthy and Hewett are part of West Coast’s future midfield whereas Yeo’s best onball work is clearly in the past. But his footy brain is just as smart and there is no doubt that having him in the centre square will make his teammates better. We only have to look at how much of a better player Harley Reid was in 2024 when Yeo was mentoring him during games. And that’s why finding the right role for Yeo is crucial. Yeo got through three quarters of an intraclub last week and kicked three goals as both a forward and midfielder. Now he’ll get the chance to play against Fremantle during a practice match in Cockburn. That’s ironic because the Dockers faced similar questions around Nat Fyfe in recent seasons. Fremantle tried to turn Fyfe into a forward with the belief that his overhead marking and brute strength would allow him to have a real impact inside 50. But it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Fyfe was a midfield beast and the forward line didn’t suit his strengths. The problem was, his body could no longer handle the midfield and it kept breaking. The Dockers knew the value of Fyfe’s experience and the sub rule became a godsend because he was able to play in bursts before retiring at the end of 2025. It took time, but Fremantle found the role that allowed Fyfe to still play. Now, McQualter has to do the same for Yeo. Will it be as a forward? He’s kicked only 85 goals from 212 AFL games and didn’t take a single mark inside 50 from 2020-2023. There’s nothing wrong with Yeo’s marking skills. He’s talented overhead. But he’s never had to be the guy who is leading for the ball and taking marks close to goal. That’s a brand new skill and learning that when confronting experienced backmen would be bloody hard. The more likely option is that Yeo will become a defender and he will get the perfect chance to remind everyone of his talent as a backmen against the Dockers. West Coast’s backline has been torn apart. There’s no Liam Baker, Liam Duggan, Brandon Starcevich, Reuben Ginbey or Brady Hough. Ouch. Yeo is an All-Australian defender. He was an absolute force in the backline. He will give a young Eagles team that includes seven new faces the type of experience that they need. He can pretty much pick whatever role he wants to play as a defender against Frei. He’s not going to be a key defender and won’t lock down on small forwards. But Yeo could definitely become the outlet when the Eagles win the ball, or play as the intercepting defender. Yeo is contracted until the end of next season, so the Eagles have time to figure out his best position for the next two years. If he gets through the first half of the season unscathed, there’s always a chance that he could gradually increase his midfield minutes throughout the year. But form and health are so important for both Yeo and the club. If McQualter can get Yeo through the season injury free by not throwing him into the midfield, would he prefer that to bolstering that centre square set up at key moments while risking him getting hurt? Yeo deserves the chance to finish his career playing good footy instead of being frustrated by watching games on the sidelines while injured. His young teammates would soak up every chance to learn from him during games and at training. And West Coast fans have been yearning to see him in action again. All eyes will be on Yeo against the Dockers. It’s been too long since he’s kicked a ball in anger.