After a disastrous 2022 campaign that saw the West Coast fall to their worst finishing position in the club's history, it's fair to say that fans are eager to see some improvement this season.
With Adam Simpson heading into his ninth year at the helm, Josh Kennedy hanging up the boots and key names set to return from injury, there's plenty of question marks hanging around the Eagles.
As the 2023 season approaches, we've taken a look at the five burning questions surrounding West Coast this year.
3. Was 2022 the anomaly or a trend?Â
2022 was, to put it plainly, a disaster for West Coast. Injuries caused chaos, COVID-19 tore through the club, and the Eagles finished the year in 17th position with just two wins on the board and a percentage of 59.8%.
It wasn't just chaos at senior level, with the Eagles forced to forfeit some WAFL fixtures when they didn't have enough players to field a team.
Though there were clearly some extenuating circumstances fast-tracking the Eagles' descent down the ladder, can we be sure they'll bounce back in 2023?
The Eagles will be bolstered by the returns of Elliot Yeo, Dom Sheed and Oscar Allen, who dealt with ongoing injury concerns in 2022, set to be instrumental in any form resurgence we will see from the side.
After a decent pre-season showing against Port Adelaide, it does appear that we will see an improved version of West Coast this season, but with matches against 2022 finalists Fremantle and Melbourne in the first month of the season, we won't have to wait long to see if that's the truth.
