West Coast Eagles aren’t locking in an Elliot Yeo replacement, preferring to see who demands the spot on form

West Coast players will be encouraged to seize their chance to impress new coach Andrew McQualter and start knocking down the door for a spot in the starting midfield after Elliot Yeo’s start to the season was delayed by injury. Yeo suffered knee and ankle injuries on Friday after being tackled awkwardly during match simulation and is extremely likely to be sidelined for the early rounds. Yeo, Harley Reid and Tim Kelly were West Coast’s go-to trio for centre bounces last season and the premiership star was the standout leader for the club in clearances. West Coast’s players will return from a four-day break on Wednesday and have their first training session since Yeo’s injury. The countdown is on until the Eagles’ first match simulation clash against Richmond at Mineral Resources Park on February 17. Players will get another chance to impress McQualter when they play North Melbourne in Bunbury on March 1. West Coast General Manager of Football Gavin Bell said everyone knows a midfield position is now available and McQualter will give plenty of players the chance to demand they get the spot. “At the end of the day, if Elliot is fully fit he is in our best midfield. But unfortunately he is not there so the spot has opened up. Let’s see the guys have a crack at the role and see who will earn the spot to play there,” Bell told The West Australian. “With a new coach, it’s very open. Elliot is one of our best players and when he’s onball, he does a wonderful job for us in there. Now that he’ll miss a little bit of footy, it gives an opportunity to all of our players who have been training through our midfield. “It’s an open position, and there’s an opportunity there for guys to have a crack at it over the next couple of practice games that we’ve got and we’ll see where it lands.” Big bodied youngster Reuben Ginbey has spent the summer training in defence but has proven in the past that he can play in the midfield to fill a similar role to Yeo. First round draftee Bo Allan has also trained as a backman but played as a midfielder last season. Campbell Chesser is expected to increase his training this week after previous interruptions. Elijah Hewett and Clay Hall are other youngsters with multiple pre-seasons who will be chasing opportunities. “We’re not locked in,” Bell said. “I really like the approach at the moment that people are open minded with the players. The players understand that with a new coach, this is an opportunity to start again and to show what they;re capable of in different roles.”