Adam Simpson adamant West Coast isn’t entering another injury crisis as three Eagles injured in first week back at training

Eagles forward Liam Ryan has been dealt another injury blow, after coach Adam Simpson hosed down concerns the club will be hit by another injury crisis in 2024.

West Coast coach Adam Simpson has hosed down concerns of another looming injury crisis after last year’s wooden spooners lost three players to injury in the first week back training in 2024.

Liam Ryan is set to miss round 1 after suffering a high-grade hamstring strain on Monday.

Scans revealed tendon damage in his left hamstring, with the high-flying Eagle undergoing surgery on Tuesday.

West Coast’s football manager Gavin Bell said the club was hopeful Ryan would feature in the early rounds of the season.

“Unfortunately, Liam has suffered a high-grade hamstring injury with some tendon damage which will require surgery to repair,” General Manager Football Gavin Bell said today.

“We are all really disappointed for Liam. He had been working hard this pre-season and over the Christmas break to be ready to go when we start playing practice matches.

“We’re hopeful he will be available to return in the early rounds of the season. The Club will provide an update on his return to play timeframe in due course following surgery.”

West Coast coach Adam Simpson on the sidelines during the 2023 season. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images.

Coby Burgiel sustained a minor hamstring strain during the same session, but he is unlikely to miss any football.

“There are always going to be injuries,” Simpson said on Monday.

“It starts in the off-season with the players and how they turn up, and the programs they put in place and that started in September or October.

“There’s going to be some ups and downs and (injury) issues we haven’t seen yet.”

The Eagles’ top two draft picks from the 2022 draft in Reuben Ginbey and Elijah Hewett also missed the opening sessions, with the former managing his workload on the way back from a hamstring injury and Hewett battling blisters as he returns from a foot injury.

He said Ginbey would slowly be reintroduced to training over coming weeks.

“Anyone who’s missed a bit of football, it’ll take a bit of time (to get back into the swing of things). We will have players coming in and out of training through summer. That will be all clubs right now.”

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The Eagles have been racked with injuries for the past two seasons, and at several stages last year had just two AFL-listed players lining up for their reserves.

Ryan spent most of 2023 on the sidelines following a hamstring tear, but Simpson said he hadn’t re-aggravated the injury from last year.

“It’s a hamstring, I just don’t know how bad it is,” Simpson said.

“It’s the other leg to last year. It will be disappointing if we have lost him for a while, but we don’t know yet. We have to wait for the scans.”

Dom Sheed is also set to begin running in coming weeks, making him an outside chance to line up in Round 1.

He said older players moving on would also help availability, with the approach around strength and conditioning “not massively different” to the last few seasons.

“Where you’ll see a change in the availability, I think, the older players on their last legs have moved on, so the list is younger so it gives you different avenues to train them harder and train them a bit more and get them up to speed.”

Liam Ryan will miss the opening round. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Simpson said the focus from the first few sessions back was as much about finding the young Eagles’ “identity” as much as strength and conditioning.

“The fitness and availability is important, but our identity and how we play the game is critical. They will grow together, our young players,” he said.

“We’re trying to chase an identity we don’t have, we’re starting from scratch.

“We start with the contest, we defend as best we can and we try to find an identity with how we move the ball.”

The Eagles mentor also said No. 1 draft pick Harley Reid would spend time in the backline in 2024, following the footsteps of fellow high draftees Harry Sheezel and Nick Daicos.

“We will need to settle him,” Simpson said.

“He will play down back mostly, a little bit on ball. He can go forward and have an impact too. I think he is going to back up the hype.”

“He has his most presence around the ball but to stick him there for 110 minutes a game comes with risks.”

Originally published as Adam Simpson adamant West Coast isn’t entering another injury crisis as three Eagles injured in first week back at training