WEST Coast’s distinguished recruit and four-time premiership Hawk Sam Mitchell says his new club can contend for the premiership in 2017 without injured superstar Nic Naitanui.

"I’m sure we’ll be aiming to finish in the top four and anyone can win it from there, you can even win it from seventh," Mitchell said.

"I mean, no one else has Naitanui, do they?

"Without being disrespectful to the ruckmen I have had, I’ve never had a Naitanui. So it’s no difference to me."

Round 18

Naitanui will miss virtually all of the 2017 season as a result of a knee reconstruction he underwent late last year.

While the Eagles — sixth in the 2016 home and away season — beat Adelaide on the road in the last round, they were thrashed by eventual premier the Western Bulldogs in the elimination final.

Mitchell told Fox Sports he had settled well in Perth, which he called "magic" and a healthier place to live than Melbourne.

West Coast Eagles Brownlow Medallists Matt Priddis and Sam Mitchell. Picture: Simon Santi Source: Supplied

"It’s magic," the newly crowned 2012 Brownlow medallist said, praising his adopted city’s weather.

"And it’s a healthy city because everyone gets up in the morning at 6-6.30 and goes to bed at 9-9.30, they’re different to Melbourne where everyone goes to bed a bit late … it’s a healthier place to live."

Mitchell moved to West Coast in part to prepare for his planned coaching career, which also has seen him study English soccer and particularly the training methods of Tottenham Hotspur, with which he has formed a relationship and helped during a recent clinic in Perth.

"The way they coach is a little bit different to us," Mitchell said of English soccer.

"Their kids — if you’re not showing signs as a child of seven or eight years old, then basically you can’t make it in European football … we have guys who’ve never seen a football until they’re 20 and they make it.

West Coast Eagle Sam Mitchell. Picture: Simon Santi Source: Supplied

"So it’s a completely different way that they learn and the way that they coach because of the way that they learn.

"Before I was traded I was going there (Tottenham) for a week to work with their academy coaches. But then I got traded so I didn’t end up making that trip. That’s something I’ll do down the track, hopefully."

Mitchell noted this difference with AFL from watching Tottenham train.

"They’ll have 11 on the pitch running patterns over and over and over again until they get that pattern right. So the team knows how they want to play in any given game. That’s something you don’t see in our game — because it’s a bigger oval and more players."

Mitchell said all AFL clubs were looking to other sports "to try and pick something up," and often the useful material wasn’t on-field.

"A big part of the game now is how you can put information from coaches’ heads into players’ heads and then get them to do it. That’s a big part of what coaching is. And different cultures do it differently.”