Dual Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy is aiming for a round-three return at West Coast as he continues his rehabilitation from ankle surgery.

Kennedy, 30, underwent a ‘clean-up’ operation in December and has taken his time to return to full training.

Speaking on Fox Footy on Sunday, the star forward said he expected to miss the opening round of the season and was targeting a return against Geelong at Optus Stadium on April 8.

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“I’ve been back running since late January and obviously the last three weeks of training, which has been pretty good,” he said.

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“This next few weeks I’ll progress and get back into some match simulation stuff.

“We’re probably looking at around round three I think, which is on target at the moment.

“Round three, hopefully round two maybe, but we’ll see how we go.”

The news will likely see the Eagles go into their first game at Optus Stadium as heavy underdogs, with Sydney looking in great form through the pre-season.

Father-son pick Jake Waterman looks the player most likely to fill in during Kennedy’s absence, with first-round pick Jarrod Brander another set to be in the mix.