It is important to at least acknowledge here that the Eagles will not be focused on draft or ladder implications when they face Hawthorn on Sunday. North Melbourne, hit with its own injury issues this week, is set to play last year's No.4 AFL Draft pick George Wardlaw alongside pick No.3 Harry Sheezel for the first time. The Hawks, for example, can this week point to the influence young midfielders Jai Newcombe, Josh Ward, Will Day and Cam Mackenzie have had in one of the better stoppage units in the AFL, with Hawthorn ranked No.6 for clearance differential. It is hard to take control of your rebuild when your selection is dictated to purely by availability but, as a result, the Eagles appear behind both North Melbourne and Hawthorn with the development of young talent.Ĭampbell Chesser during the round two clash between West Coast and Greater Western Sydney at Optus Stadium on March 26, 2023. Small forward Noah Long has played five games in his debut season and is due to return from a hamstring injury, but midfielder Jai Culley's year has been ended after five games by a serious knee injury. Pick No.9 in last year's NAB AFL Draft, Reuben Ginbey, has been a beacon in his first nine games, but Campbell Chesser (three games), Rhett Bazzo (two), Brady Hough (three) and Elijah Hewitt (three) have not added the same bank of experience so far this season. It was a similar story in 2022 and the wretched run has prevented some of the club's best young players from playing and held its rebuild back. Outside of the Eagles' control this season has been an injury list that has left them with only 26 fit players on multiple occasions. Bailey Humphrey celebrates a goal during Gold Coast's clash against West Coast in round nine, 2023.
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