The Eagles' list limbo won't be blurring the lines of the club's direction for the season ahead, with senior coach Adam Simpson stating there is a buzz of excitement among his squad this pre-season.
West Coast bid farewell to defender Brad Sheppard and young forward Daniel Venables early into their off-season as the pair called time on their careers due to ongoing battles with concussion.
The Eagles' list took another hit less than two months until Round 1, with the future of key-forward Jack Darling up in the air as he remains unvaccinated and away from AFL duties.
The trio of omissions - along with an ageing list and a ninth-place finish last year - compound calls for the Eagles to undertake a rebuild and start their premiership planning again.
Despite the suggestions, Simpson is hopeful for the year ahead, with the Eagles set to put their best foot forward and contend for a place among the top bracket of the AFL.
"We've seen success, we know what it looks like, we know what it feels like," Simpson told AFL.com.au.
"There's good energy amongst the group, there's excitement amongst the group, and they've really embraced a couple of the new concepts we’ve introduced and the new coaches.
"Unity is strong and there's good spirit, but that doesn't mean we're going to win 18 games this year.
"We're setting ourselves up to be our best version and that's the good part about this pre-season."
While an improved finish from last year is at the forefront of West Coast's ambitions for this season, Simpson hasn't avoided the thought of flipping his list and placing greater attention toward the future.
"I wouldn't mind staying and going back up as the plan," the coach said.
"But there's reality as well. Where does your list sit, what's the age profile, what's the dynamic of it all? We're still aiming pretty high.
"Youth versus the elder statesmen, it's probably who's going best at the time. But we do have an eye on the development of our kids as well."
The Eagles have nine players that will be 30 years of age or older in 2022, with a majority of their A-grade talent among the ageing contingent.
Josh Kennedy, Shannon Hurn, Nic Naitanui, Luke Shuey, Jack Redden, Jeremy McGovern, Jamie Cripps, Andrew Gaff and Darling have or will surpass the 30 barrier in 2022, with the Eagles' list recording an average of 25.2 years per player, the second oldest in the competition.
Their reliance on veterans hasn't stopped Simpson blooding new names, both on the field and within their coaching structure.
The Eagles have welcomed the additions of former Geelong midfield coach Matthew Knights and Port Adelaide assistant Jarrad Schofield for 2022, bolstering Simpson's strikeforce ahead of a critical campaign.
"To get a couple of experienced guys from other clubs brought some fresh ideas and a different outlook on our list and style of play, so a lot of the ideas came from those guys."
The Eagles will begin their 2022 campaign against Gold Coast on Sunday, March 20 at Optus Stadium.
