West Coast's preparations for a second grand final in four seasons have been thrown into disarray after impressive first-year forward Liam Ryan was charged with drink driving over a car crash in early July.

The 21-year-old allegedly crashed a Toyota Rav 4 into a tree on July 2 and was found by police nearby at an Armadale park just after 6am, before being taken to Armadale Hospital for a health assessment.

Ryan said the mid-season incident "straightened me up" in an interview following West Coast's comeback victory over the Pies at Optus Stadium in the first week of finals.

He paid particular tribute to Eagles full-forward Josh Kennedy and defender Lewis Jetta for helping him through some personal issues.