WEST Coast forward Malakai Champion has suffered a suspected knee injury at pre-season training on Wednesday as he pushes to establish himself at AFL level in 2026.  

The Eagles confirmed they were investigating the injury, which happened during a standard handball drill at the club's Mineral Resources Park base.

Champion went down in apparent pain and grabbed at his right knee before leaving the ground unassisted and heading to the clubrooms after speaking with trainers. 

The exciting small forward provided glimpses of his talent in 2025, playing two games late in the season and earning a new one-year contract as a Category B rookie. 

His spark and energy inside 50 were on show in 16 games for West Coast's WAFL team this year, with the 19-year-old also providing excellent defensive pressure and laying 11 tackles in a round 10 clash against Peel Thunder. 

The teenager played senior football for WAFL club Subiaco during his draft year and was among 10 Eagles to make their club debuts in 2025. 

"It's a really special story with Malakai. He's been on a journey and we took him as part of our Next Generation Academy," coach Andrew McQualter said ahead of Champion's debut in July.

"He came to the club at the start of this year and probably wasn't ready for AFL footy. He'd be the first to admit that, but he's worked really hard this year and really hard on his game. 

"He's got himself fit, he's really consistent with the role he's playing at WAFL level, and he's just put consistent performances together, so it's a great opportunity for him to play."

West Coast completed a competitive session on Wednesday, with key forward Jake Waterman and defender Harry Edwards among the standouts in the aerial drills. 

Recruit Deven Robertson put in a long running session, while midfielder Elliot Yeo was a notable absentee after a strong start to the summer program.