West Coast Eagles forward Oscar Allen missed the club with a tight hamstring as Elliot Yeo dominated the contest
West Coast forward Oscar Allen hit a pre-season speed bump when he was sidelined by a hotly contested intraclub at Mineral Resources Park on Friday night with a strained Achilles tendon.
Allen, who missed all of last year with a foot injury, reported from the narrows this week, joining teammates Luke Shuey and Dom Sheed in being managed from the session.
The West Australian understands the injury is not a serious one and will train next week for next Friday’s training game against Port Adelaide.
It comes just a week after Allen scored four goals in one half of the game sim to mark himself ready to take the mantle of retired star Josh Kennedy as the leader of the Eagles’ forward line.
However, West Coast took no chances as spearhead Jack Darling (ankle) raced to be fit for the first round while Jack Williams (ruptured spleen) will be sidelined for at least a month.
Reigning club champion Tom Barrass was pivoted forward in the intra-club second quarter and had several tight moments in tagging contests against defender Harry Edwards, but kicked his only goal from a ground ball and a snap.
Happily, Elliot Yeo has expressed doubts about his ability to return to bed at his best after winning the competition.
After years of soft tissue injuries, Yeo has exceeded expectations with a signature performance halfway through the intraclub game.
Starting at half-defense, the two-time club champions had the most impact when he went down the middle.
Breaking tackles, snaking through matches and controlling the game, it was a welcome sight for the loyal Eagles looking through the fence.
There was little sign of his previous struggles with osteitis pubis as he displayed the strength few of his teammates can replicate and made him one of the best players in the AFL.
Adding to the excitement was a superb first half from teenager Campbell Chesser, who scored twice and showed his potential in a promising performance before joining Liam Duggan and Jake Waterman in running rounds.
Chess is a chance to play minutes against power, but he’s unlikely to make the first round unless he can up his load over the next few weeks and outperform several teammates in the pecking order after falling in the hasn’t played much footy in the last three years.
Reuben Ginbey, the top recruit, also impressed with his ability to feel comfortable against the older players, starting for the best team in the first half and rotating with Yeo in full-back.
With an AFL-capable body, Ginbey blended in seamlessly and displayed excellent game awareness in general play, but sometimes let down with availability.
Sophomore midfielder Jai Culley continued his claim to a first-round spot with composure in midfield while Tim Kelly relentlessly scored three goals.
Callum Jamieson or Bailey Williams failed to take center stage over partner Nic Naitanui in the first round.
Jamieson worked hard up and down to influence competitions while Williams was present without standing out.
Halfway through the game, the teams were more evenly split and the intensity was dialed down a notch as older players, including Naitanui and Shannon Hurn, were slowly dragged out of the session.
