1. It was hardly a revelation given the absence of stars like Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling, Jamie Cripps, Mark LeCras and Josh Hill, but the midfield struggled to synchronise with the forwards. The Eagles were in the game until mid-way through the final term and the goal-kicking list included the names of Kurt Mutimer, Tarir Bayok, Mal Karpany, Elliot Yeo and Tom Lamb.
  2. Much has been made of the injuries to regular ruckmen Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett and one of the men recruited to cover that situation, Nathan Vardy, made a solid start to his career with the club. He was engaged around the ground and up forward, but also had 27 hit outs, giving the undermanned midfield every opportunity. His athleticism will be important in the 2017 campaign.
  3. The last two players selected on the West Coast list, category B rookies Bayok and Francis Watson, produced encouraging performances. Watson, in particular, was eye-catching off half-back. He provided strong rebound and composure in his first hit-out at the level, collecting 16 possessions. Bayok applied good defensive pressure in the forward half and was one of the team’s five goal-kickers.
  4. Emerging midfielder Dom Sheed had his 2016 season ruined by injury during the summer, playing his first match in round 19 against Collingwood. This preparation has been smooth for the long-striding left-footer and he started in good fashion with a 27-possession effort through the middle. That wil give him a confidence boost as he strives to lock down a place in a midfield that has been bolstered in the off-season.
  5. Lewis Jetta and Jack Redden are also looking to have a bigger impact in 2017 and they, too, started positively. They had 17 and 16 possessions respectively and assumed some seniority in the midfield. Although they are contrasting players, they will be important in the team’s aspirations this campaign and would be pleased with their first competitive hit out.