WEST Coast players have embraced a turbocharged workload this pre-season under new high performance manager Phil Merriman, with the pre-Christmas training block finishing this week with a brutal 18.5km session.

Merriman arrived from Fremantle in the off-season and has lifted the players' sprint loads and high-speed running by a massive 35 per cent while also introducing a dedicated contest training day.

Overall training loads are up 10 per cent under the accomplished high-performance manager as the Eagles look to rebound from a one-win season in 2025 and address a pattern of falling away in games after half time.

Merriman turned Fremantle into one of the fittest and most physically resilient teams in the competition across five seasons and said he had encountered a young Eagles list with plenty of similarities after starting at the club last month.

"I've walked into a group that I walked into at Fremantle in 2021 – predominantly young and with a lot of players that just don't want to be held back," Merriman told AFL.com.au this week as the Eagles wrapped up the first block of their pre-season.

"They're super competitive and raring to go, and they just need to be guided in the right direction.

"The group itself has had a brilliant platform laid by Mat Inness over the last two years, but 'Mini' (Andrew McQualter) has had to build his game plan over the last year while Mat has kept them at a level where they can deal with the game.

"My role from here is to get them up to a level where the game is comfortable for them, and that's done at this point of the year when we're building volumes and intensity.

"More means more. The more you do today, the more you can do tomorrow, and the whole football department has embraced that [philosophy]."

Merriman took the players into unchartered territory on Monday this week, concluding the year with a surprise three-and-a-half-hour session that had coaches and staff nervous given the club's recent injury history.

Thirty-eight players completed the session, which included 8.5km of football work before moving into a gruelling running program that tested the players physically and mentally as Merriman kept them guessing.

Running sets were separated by football quizzes and mini drills to test their resilience and teamwork under fatigue, with another running test looming when the players return from their break.

"I would say three quarters of the group would have thought, 'No, I can't do that'. But now that they can get through that, I start building trust with the players and the staff, so they know what I'm on about," Merriman said.

"'Mini' addressed the players prior to the session, because they had no idea what they were going through, and he just told them to stay in the moment and be present and you'll be surprised how much work you can get through.

"They embraced it, and that's all I can ask. The attitude was 'we'll cop whatever you throw at us'. There was even a few guys at the end saying, 'Is that it?'. Maybe I'll get them next year."

A key component of the Eagles' pre-season has been a dedicated contest training day on Wednesdays, with the young group looking to address a major shortcoming after ranking last for contested possession differential (-18.0) and clearance differential (-10.7) in 2025.

The change has been made possible by the higher running loads completed during football drills and the introduction of Saturday morning hill runs at Kings Park, which were a staple at Fremantle.

Another key change under Merriman has been the periodic banning of ice baths during pre-season as the players push through pain after heavy sessions and build physical resilience.

Overall, staff have noted a different feeling about pre-season this year and an increase in energy and enthusiasm, with McQualter setting the tone for vocal training sessions as he barks encouragement and direction during drills.

Young midfielder Elijah Hewett, second-year key forward Jobe Shanahan and mid-season recruit Tom McCarthy have been among the standouts, with the latter showing all the attributes needed to move into an on-ball role more permanently.

"Physically, he is a beast. He is top three in our running, and not just in terms of a running test, his game numbers are outstanding," Merriman said of McCarthy, who is completing his first AFL pre-season.

"So if he's in the midfield with that dynamic and the way that he can move, that is really exciting.

"I've been really impressed with Elijah Hewett. His footwork and power is really impressive, and he's clean with ball in hand as well. He's had a couple of tough years but he wants more and more.

"I hadn't really seen much of Jobe to be honest, but as an athlete he is super impressive. You don't hear a lot from him, but he gets through the work and is an impressive young guy."

On his own move after five seasons with the Dockers, where he was a popular figure with a high performing group of players, Merriman said the time was right to seek a new challenge.

The former Hawthorn and Melbourne strength and conditioning coach, who started in the AFL in 2011, explored options interstate before jumping at the chance to join the Eagles and remain in WA.

"It's been nice and refreshing. I obviously really miss the players and the staff that I was working with at Freo," Merriman said.

"But being involved in creating an environment and being part of an environment like it is here is really nice. Everyone is just onboard and aligned and ready to go.

"There's a journey ahead of us, and everyone is really up for it, which you can see in everybody's eyes."