Although several key players, including ruckman Nic Naitanui, Scott Selwood and Matt Priddis will play in an intra-club practice match on Friday to complete their pre-seasons. After playing just 50 minutes in the Eagles 19-point practice match win against Fremantle last Thursday, Naitanui will be expected to get through a full game on Friday in order to push for a starting spot in the team against the Dogs. As many as seven players who are expected to be in the round one side will get an extra run this week. “I think we will have 19-20 listed players playing and all various times just to top up their pre-season minutes. So it’s more about getting their minutes in rather than form,” coach Adam Simpson said. “The guys who didn’t go to Sydney might play on Friday.

“Nic will play, Priddis, Selwood, so there are a number of players – but limited time, probably just over a quarter. “We need to get a good solid hit out out of Nic. He played 40-50 minutes (against Fremantle), which we wanted to last week and now the next step is to play a full game.” The rest of the players in Friday's game will come from the Eagles WAFL-affiliated club, East Perth. Sheed was surprisingly left for the Eagles to pick up in last year’s AFL Draft at pick 11 after earlier being touted as a top 10 prospect. He won All-Australian selection and took out the Larke Medal for the best player in the AFL-Under 18s competition last year, starring in the game against Vic Country with 29 touches and four goals.

He has carried that form into the pre-season at the next level. Sheed had 17 touches in West Coast’s NAB Challenge win over Fremantle and 15 against Sydney. He was most impressive against an almost full-strength Dockers in their practice match last Thursday, picking up 18 touches and kicking a goal. “He’s done everything right in our mind. He seems to have fitted in well with AFL standard, albeit he has a lot to learn, so he’s another one who is in the mix for sure,” Simpson said. “He seems to get better as the game progresses.

“He just, for a first year, first pre-season, he seems to adapt well to the game. There are thing off the ball you can see he's still learning, still learning his craft, but to have him have an impact on the game, 18 touches, take that from a first-gamer.” Whether there is room in the side that already boasts Luke Shuey, Selwood, Chris Masten, Sharrod Wellingham, Andrew Gaff, Matt Rosa, Xavier Ellis, Will Schofield, Priddis and Elliot Yeo is yet to be seen.