West Coast have reportedly decided to drop veteran midfielder Tim Kelly for this week's contest against Carlton.
Kelly, who had returned to Western Australia this week as teammates trained in South Australia ahead of their Gather Round clash, isn't expected to make the flight over to Adelaide ahead of Round 5, perย 9 News'ย Tom Morris.
It is understood that Kelly will feature at the WAFL level when the Eagles' reserves play Subiaco on Friday night, which will be Kelly's first game in the competition since 2017 during his time with South Fremantle.
A statement has since been provided from Kelly's manager Anthony Van Der Wielen, who said Kelly will utilise the selection call to better his game.
"He's obviously disappointed about that but understands the decision and knows his form hasn't been at the level he expects of himself,"ย Van Der Wielen said.
"He sees this as an opportunity to reset, build confidence, and hopefully push straight back into senior selection. Tim's a proud player and a leader. One of the most driven and self-aware athletes I've worked with.
"He is very confident he can get back to his best form very soon."
Kelly had played all four games under new coach Andrew McQualter to start the 2025 season, averaging 18.75 disposals, 3.25 tackles and 2.75 inside 50s per game, all being career lows.
Kelly had played at least 20 games for West Coast in each of the past two seasons, and at least 17 games in the three seasons prior.
The Eagles could welcome back duo Jake Waterman (back/calf) and Jack Hutchinson (hamstring) for Saturday's game against a fellow winless Carlton outfit.
West Coast will name a 23-player squad for Round 5 at 6:20pm (AEST) on Thursday.
