Eagles coach John Worsfold rates Waters a "good chance" of playing and declared second-year midfielder Luke Shuey a certainty to make his debut.
Waters first dislocated his elbow while playing for WAFL side Claremont in June 2008 and he has had three operations since to repair the joint.
The premiership half-back is expected to return to the side in a new forward line role.
“Beau’s a good chance to play - it’s pretty exciting. When he started playing in the pre-season he was just excited to be pulling on the boots and he was getting nervous again," Worsfold said from Subiaco Oval on Thursday.
“It’s great to see him back playing footy.”
Shuey was West Coast’s priority pick (No.18 overall) in 2008, but groin, leg and hernia injuries ruined his first season at the club. He also dealt with the tragic death of his teenage sister, Mel.
Worsfold said he was not surprised with the young midfielder’s accomplished pre-season after a horror introduction to AFL football.
“The fact that it’s round one and he’s broken into the AFL side is a great boost for him,” Worsfold said.
“If you saw the work he put in and his mindset you knew he’d come back pretty well.
“In the pre-season, in the testing, he’s up there with our best runners, so you can see he’s done the work and he pushes himself to the limit.
“[He’s] very excited, the kid’s been very focused on doing everything right…I heard a little bit of a yell when he walked out of my office.”
Shuey performed consistently through the pre-season and a standout midfield performance against Port Adelaide was the highlight.
Earlier this week Adam Selwood spoke about the players being behind the 19-year-old’s push to debut, and said Waters’ return to senior AFL football was also likely to lift the side.
Worsfold wouldn’t declare whether Quinten Lynch or Ash Hansen would fill the full-forward position on Saturday night, but Hansen was training with the side’s WAFL players on Thursday.
“Lynchy’s performances over the last couple of years have been outstanding for us,” Worsfold said.
“He’s really holding up in a number of positions while the team’s been battling through.
“That is taken into account. Also taken into account is that he’s in touch and he’s fit and ready to go.”
After a run of impressive pre-season form, Koby Stevens has fallen short of earning a round one debut but Worsfold was confident the recruit would be unveiled soon.
“He’s had an interrupted pre-season and he started with us coming off a groin injury last year,” Worsfold said.
“He’ll pick up match fitness over the next few weeks (and) he’s shown in the short time in our practice games and on the weekend that he’ll be pushing up for selection very quickly.”
Beau Waters is a $152,800 defender in this year’s Toyota AFL Dream Team competition.
Luke Shuey is a $94,500 midfielder in this year’s Toyota AFL Dream Team competition.
