West Coast legend Glen Jakovich has laid down the law to his old side, as they come off a fourth straight season plastered to the bottom of the ladder, urging every player to return from their off-season break in peak physical condition.
The Eagles had statistically the worst season of any team in the AFL era in 2025, winning one game and losing 23.
The AFL decided to hand them a compensation pick at the end of the first round, which they ultimately traded for Brisbane premiership star Brandon Starcevich.
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West Coast leaves the field after their loss to Melbourne. AFL Photos via Getty Images
They also hold the top two picks in the AFL draft, one for winning the wooden spoon and the other as free agency compensation for departing captain Oscar Allen, who joined the Brisbane Lions.
Jakovich, who was a key part of West Coast’s inaugural premiership wins, has put pressure on the playing group to raise standards over the off-season.
“The biggest thing to dissect is about the standards and I said it back in late August when the season was finishing and they had one or two games to go and had pretty much checked out, a few players retired, but I did say dare not one player come back a little bit out of shape,” Jakovich told 6PR.
“Pre-season started then. Three days after their last game once they’d had their exit meetings and then you’re allowed to go for your eight weeks of holidays.
“Their pre-season started that week because they are way, way behind from the standards, the training, the fitness and the competitiveness of staying in games for longer periods.
“Can you think of a time in the last few years where West Coast has played four solid quarters of football? I can’t recall a time where they’ve done that.”
Glen Jakovich with Andrew Dillon in 2025. via Getty Images
Players will officially return to training in early November, though they have full access to facilities as they please during the break.
On a more positive note, Jakovich feels the Eagles are surely ready start advancing up the ladder in 2026, though they remain quite inexperienced.
“I think they’ve bottomed out, and you’d like to think that they have if you’re a West Coast supporter or someone within the four walls of the football club,” the Eagles great said.
“Everyone knows they’ve got a very young list and they’ve got some gaping holes in their age profile.
“You look at their senior players with Jeremy McGovern going, Dom Sheed going, Elliot Yeo wasn’t there last year with long term injury. They’re missing that seniority.
“Brandon Starcevich and Deven Robertson coming in, they’ve got to get that balance right.”
League chief Andrew Dillon agreed with that assessment while speaking in Perth about the Eagles’ AFL assistance.
“That was well thought through and delivered at the September commission meeting and I think West Coast has got a bit of work to do, but I think the only way is up for them now,” Dillon told reporters.
“They’ve taken that package and they’ve used that.
“They’ve attracted a high calibre player and they’ve got two early picks in the draft.
“I think what you want, what we want as a competition, is for all our fans of all of our clubs to have hope.
“And I think if you sit down at the bottom for too long, fans can lose hope. And I think what you see now at West Coast is there’s a new regime.
“So they’ll get two high quality players this year, or more than two in the draft …. and with Harley Reid as well, they are going to be OK.”
The Eagles are widely tipped to bring in Victorian pair Willem Duursma and Cooper Duff-Tytler with the top two picks in this year’s draft.
As well as star Lions defender Starcevich, they also traded for Richmond key back Tylar Young and will add cut Brisbane midfielder Deven Robertson as a delisted free agent.
The AFL gave West Coast an additional four rookie spots as part of the assistance package, giving them extra flexibility to target players like Robertson who have struggled for opportunity elsewhere.