West Coast are set to be boosted by three key reinforcements as they travel to face Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.

Star No.1 draft pick Willem Duursma headlines the returns as he gears up for a showdown with fellow Rising Star contender Jagga Smith, while veteran Jack Graham and rangy halfback Tom McCarthy will be available as long as they get through training.

The trio all missed West Coast’s shattering one-point defeat to North Melbourne at Optus Stadium ahead of their round 15 bye, with Duursma and McCarthy struck down by minor soft tissue blows.

Meanwhile, Graham has made a rapid recovery from shoulder surgery, only going under the knife in April after being injured during Gather Round against Geelong.

Speaking to 7NEWS on Monday night, West Coast coach Andrew McQualter revealed he was “confident” Duursma would face Carlton and could even line up on Smith as they battle to be named 2026’s best young player.

“He was probably pretty close to playing (against North Melbourne), we just didn’t want to take the risk with him,” he said.

“So, as long as he gets through training this week, which we think he will, he’ll be back in.

“There’d be a good chance (he and Smith will line up on each other) given they both play through the midfield. They’ve got some different traits, but it will be an exciting match-up if they play against each other for periods.”

Unsurprisingly, the second-year coach gave the edge in the Rising Star battle to Duursma, who is averaging 19 disposals, three tackles and two clearances across his first 13 games.

“I just think the way (Willem’s) been able to influence games from the wing, from the midfield, his aerial game, his defensive game and his ability to accumulate and be dangerous, I think he’s the full package,” McQualter said.

“So I’m team Willem in that (Rising Star) race.”

McCarthy is also having a strong season in his first full year of AFL, having joined the Eagles in the 2025 mid-season draft, and has recovered quickly from a calf complaint.

“He’s training well,” McQualter said.

“He had a good period over the bye rehabbing that hamstring, so, again, as long as he gets through training this week, we’re really confident he’ll play this week, which is terrific for us.”

McQualter also said midfielder Graham was so close to playing in Round 14 that it left the former Tiger “upset” to miss out.

“Jack was a little bit upset with me that I didn’t let him play (against North Melbourne),“ he said.

“So, he’s been frothing to play again, and it’s really exciting for our team. He’s really important to our midfield, and he’ll be ready to go, which is great.”

The returns are going to make for a few selection headaches with most of the Eagles’ midfield performing well and debutant Marcus Herbert, who was taken in the 2026 mid-season draft, shining on debut.

Tom Gross, who featured in his first game for the season against the Kangaroos, is likely to head back to the WAFL, while youngster Elijah Hewett may also face a return to the reserves.

The Eagles won’t be getting any reinforcement in the tall timber department, however, with McQualter still not having a clear timeline on when or if Harry Edwards can make a return from his serious bouts of concussion, while star defender Reuben Ginbey is in a race against time to play again this season.

“Harry’s still working through protocols, and we’re hopeful he’ll be able to play again soon, but as soon as we have more information, we’ll be able to share it with everyone,” McQualter said.