SHARROD Wellingham is unlikely to play round one but West Coast have some selection headaches just a fortnight out with a number of players needing to play in the WAFL next week, according to coach Adam Simpson.
The Eagles rounded off their pre-season campaign with a 105-point drubbing of Essendon in oppressive conditions at Domain Stadium on Sunday.
Simpson said the Eagles got through the match unscathed but they do have a few injury concerns heading into round one.
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Wellingham did not play against the Bombers after suffering a knee knock at training a couple of weeks ago, and Simpson confirmed he would not play in the WAFL next week and would be hard pressed to play against the Brisbane Lions in round one on Easter Sunday.
"It's going to be tough isn't it," Simpson said.
"We think he's turned the corner but now he's just getting the base back up."
Simpson said that Jack Redden, Lewis Jetta, Dom Sheed and Mark Hutchings were all likely to play for East Perth in the WAFL next weekend in a bid to prove their fitness for round one.
Sheed was a late withdrawal from the game against Essendon after pulling up sore in his injured knee on Saturday. He has been undergoing a long rehab process on the knee after requiring minor surgery prior to Christmas and appears unlikely to be available for round one, but he should play for East Perth next week.
Hutchings has had a sore calf and could have played on Sunday but has been set for the WAFL next week.
Jetta injured his calf in the second NAB Challenge game against Gold Coast but may play some minutes in the WAFL to ensure he is right for round one.
Simpson was pleased with Redden's first hit-out for the club against the Bombers, but confirmed he would need to play next week.
"It was a big effort," Simpson said.
"It's his first game and he hasn't really trained with the main group until the last three weeks. We got 60 or 70 minutes into him. He got through unscathed. He'll play at WAFL level next week."
Simpson said his senior players would taper this week ahead of round one after conceding he might have got the Eagles' preparation wrong heading into round one last year against the Western Bulldogs.
"We'll taper a little bit," Simpson said.
"We've been going pretty hard. We'll taper off and manage our round one prep as best we can. I probably missed the mark a little bit last year.
"We looked a bit fatigued in the second half of round one last year against the Bulldogs. Mind you they were red hot. So we're trying to just tweak a couple of things this time around."
The week off gives tired Eagles time to recover from the heat on Sunday. Picture: AFL Media
