Honeyball takes a look at the likely best 23 for West Coast ahead of the 2026 AFL season, noting ins and outs, key injuries, plus a look at relevant AFL Fantasy and SuperCoach players.
We’ve used quotes from West Coast coach Andrew McQualter’s chat on afl.com.au’s Your Coach podcast to offer additional insight on relevant players.
Ins: Sam Allen (No.29 draft pick), Willem Duursma (No.1 draft pick), Cooper Duff-Tytler (No.4 draft pick), Josh Lindsay (No.19 draft pick), Finlay Macrae (SSP), Deven Robertson (SSP), Fred Rodriguez (Rookie Draft), Harry Schoenberg (SSP), Brandon Starcevich (trade, Brisbane), Tylah Williams (No.39 draft pick, Academy), Tylar Young (trade, Richmond)
Outs: Oscar Allen (free agent, Brisbane), Campbell Chesser (trade, Carlton), Jayden Hunt (retired), Callum Jamieson (delisted), Coen Livingstone (delisted), Jeremy McGovern (retired), Jack Petruccelle (delisted), Loch Rawlinson (delisted), Liam Ryan (trade, St Kilda), Dom Sheed (retired)
Key injuries: Jack Graham (hamstring), Bailey Williams (groin), Jack Hutchinson (ankle)
Predicted best 23
B: Brady Hough, Harry Edwards, Reuben Ginbey
HB: Liam Baker, Tylar Young, Brandon Starcevich
C: Willem Duursma, Elliot Yeo, Bo Allan
HF: Jack Graham, Jobe Shanahan, Elijah Hewett
F: Cooper Duff-Tytler, Jake Waterman, Jamie Cripps
Foll: Matt Flynn, Harley Reid, Tom McCarthy
I/C: Liam Duggan, Tim Kelly, Archer Reid, Deven Robertson, Harry Schoenberg
Relevant Players
Willem Duursma
Andrew McQualter: “Worm has done a terrific job. When we first drafted him, I said to him one of his biggest challenges is I don’t know where I’m going to play you. That’s a great trait because he can play everywhere and has throughout his junior career. Incredible upside.
“He’s an 18-year-old man. This game is really challenging. You’ve got to be careful not to put too many expectations on him. There isn’t many 18-year-olds who come in and make big impacts straight away. We’re going to build him up.”
Deven Robertson & Finlay Macrae
McQualter: “We had three mature-age rookies come in, Dev Robertson, Harry Schoenerg and Fin Macrae. They all come from really strong systems, good clubs, winning clubs. Individually really good players. Most of them had some struggles to maintain a best (23) spot in their teams. But sometimes that makes you more hungry. We’ve seen all three come in and make a huge impact.”
Harry Schoenberg
McQualter: “He has (had an impressive summer). He was a high draft pick only five years ago. He had some injuries, circumstance at the Crows, falls out of favour. We thought we were incredibly lucky to get Harry. We see real upside for him for a longer-term future. He’s just a hard worker, he’s a good footballer, he’s really diligent, we’ve played him in multiple roles this pre-season.”
Tom McCarthy
McQualter: “What Tom McCarthy has done this pre-season and his short time as an AFL footballer, it’s quite extraordinary. It’s an unusual journey not to be in the system until he was 24 years old. He looks like he’s a real AFL player. I’ve been very excited by his pre-season… “I know the ceiling is high. I don’t know how high.
“I think (midfield) at this stage. We’ll always stay flexible. We’re really comfortable he can play back, but he’s trained most of the pre-season as a midfielder.”
Harley Reid
McQualter: “Harley has clearly come back in great condition. He’s playing terrific football at the moment. Really consistent.”
Josh Lindsay, Cooper Duff-Tytler
