West Coast midfielder Dom Sheed has a hot spot on his foot that will see him put on a modified training program.
The Eagles revealed the news in a small press release, only elaborating that Sheed will be on a modified load in pre-season with further assessment required.
It comes after the 28-year-old midfielder was spotted wearing a moon boot during a school clinic on Tuesday.
It’s another injury blow for Sheed, who was limited to just one AFL appearance in 2022 and 15 in 2023 after battling an array of injuries.
The Eagles have also revealed that developing tall Archer Reid is battling a knee issue that will also place the 2023 pick no.30 on a limited program.
Following the high-profile imposition of Reid, an overshadowed element of the Eagles’ 2024 midfield operation is the prospective second-year emergence of Reuben Ginbey, who managed a top-20-ranking tackling average of 5.9 hugs per game.
Throughout his maiden professional campaign, Ginbey typically played a negating role on the opposition’s marquee midfielder, but the East Perth product is more than capable of winning his own Sherrin and could be unleashed by Simpson in 2024.
Veteran goalscorers Jack Darling, Jamie Cripps, and Liam Ryan, as well as star-in-the-making key forward Oscar Allen – who was the Eagles’ only 2023 All-Australian nomination – make up the brunt of West Coast’s forward-line firepower, with the addition of ex-Hawk Brockman adding an electric element to the Eagles’ smaller brigade.
2023 Mid-Season Draft top choice Ryan Maric, small forwards Noah Long and Jack Petri Celle, and recent draftee Archer Reid should also find themselves in the Eagles’ forward mix at different stages throughout the 2024 season.
With Darling and Cripps’ careers progressively winding to a close, opportunities will begin to arise for the likes of Reid and Maric, as well as Jack Williams and Callum Jamieson, in the tall forwards department, while early signs suggest Long fits the Cripps mould.
