WEST Coast vice-captain Scott Selwood made a surprise playing return on Friday night, lining up for East Perth in a WAFL pre-season match against South Fremantle at Fremantle Oval.
Selwood has had an interrupted pre-season with the Eagles after requiring ankle surgery in December.
The 2012 best and fairest was on track for round one but there had been no guarantees that he would be able to play in the lead-up.
Any doubts over his fitness were quashed on Friday when he made an earlier than expected return for East Perth playing two-and-a-half quarters in the midfield.
Selwood appeared to have no issue with his ankle. He was involved in a heavy collision in the third quarter but appeared to suffer no ill effects.
He was rested in the final term and should he recover well, he could feature in the Eagles' final NAB Challenge match against Fremantle on March 22.
Murray Newman also played for East Perth, dispelling any fears that he injured his hamstring during last week's match against Claremont.
He was lively on Friday night in wet conditions, kicking a goal in the opening term. The Eagles rookie, who missed all of last season as he served a six-month jail sentence, played nearly three quarters before being rested in the final term.
New draftees Alec Waterman and Liam Duggan were also on show. Waterman played well throughout the match, spending the majority of the night on the ball.
Duggan, the Eagles' first-round pick in last year's NAB AFL draft, did not enter the game until the second term but he worked his way into the contest gathering a number of touches in the second half.
Irish rookie Paddy Brophy and former baseballer Corey Adamson both played in defence for the Royals.
East Perth lost to South Fremantle by 10 points in a tight low-scoring affair.
The rest of the Eagles' squad trained earlier on Friday with the players now having the weekend off before returning to prepare for the Eagles' last NAB Challenge clash next Sunday at Domain Stadium.
