A HEAVY travel burden is a fact of AFL life for West Coast, but a lengthy trip to regional NSW for the club's opening JLT Community Series match hasn't impressed coach Adam Simpson.

The Eagles, who will fly further than any other side during the premiership season, have been scheduled to play in Narrandera, in the heart of the Riverina region, against Greater Western Sydney this Saturday.

JLT Community Series: All the round one teams

On Thursday morning, West Coast's players boarded a chartered flight of about four hours to Wagga Wagga, where they will set up base and train before making return 90-minute bus trips to the ground on game day and then flying back to Perth post-match.

Considering the Eagles will fly about 57,000km during the coming home-and-away campaign – more than four times further than Collingwood according to Champion Data – it's little wonder Simpson is a touch frustrated.

"We're really looking forward to embracing the (Narrandera) community. There's nothing wrong with playing AFL there, it's probably more just the fact we've got a bit of travelling to do this year and this just adds to it," Simpson told 6PR this week.

"We're really keen to promote the game across the country, no doubt.

"But you would've thought in your planning, the two furthest teams from Narrandera are probably West Coast and Fremantle, and to book us in … just doesn't make a heap of sense, does it?

"There's 16 sides a little bit closer than us but that's the way it is and we'll have to get on with it.

"But it's a little bit disappointing."

The Eagles haven't taken their usual quota of football staff to Narrandera and have left stars like Josh Kennedy, Luke Shuey, Sam Mitchell, Matt Priddis, and Jeremy McGovern behind.

Up to seven players are in the mix to make their club debuts, with former Geelong big man Nathan Vardy set to lead the ruck.

Promising father-son recruit Jake Waterman, fellow draftee Josh Rotham, rookie defender Tom Gorter, second-year midfielder Kurt Mutimer and category B rookies Tarir Bayok and Francis Watson are also in the youthful 29-man squad.

Explosive onballer Daniel Venables, the club's top pick at last year's NAB AFL Draft, is back in full training but won't be risked coming off a long-term foot issue.

"We've been pretty patient with him," Simpson said. "We're just building up the young fella, he's going to be a powerful athlete and it was exciting to see him even in rehab."

Ruckman Jonathan Giles (thumb) has been ruled out of the Eagles' first two pre-season games, while ex-North Melbourne veteran Drew Petrie has been spared the trip to face GWS.

After returning from Narrandera, the Eagles will face crosstown rivals Fremantle in Geraldton on February 25 before hosting Melbourne at Domain Stadium on March 9.

West Coast then has the challenge of managing its squad through a 17-day break between matches ahead of a round one clash against the Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium.

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