The West Coast Eagles appear to have “dodged a bullet" with star forward Jack Darling likely to avoid surgery in the wake of an ankle injury suffered in last Friday’s match simulation session.

Darling was assisted from the main oval at Mineral Resources after his ankle was trapped under the body of key defender Jeremy McGovern in the dying minutes, but senior coach Adam Simpson said today Darling was still a chance to play in round one.

“We feared for the worst last Friday and we got some pretty good news so we don’t expect it to be too severe,” Simpson said. “He will be touch and go for round one but knowing the way he is I think he will be okay.

“So no surgery, just an ankle and we’ll see how he is in the next couple of weeks. It took us a bit of a time to get to where we needed to with scans and then extra scans. We will take it pretty easy with him but hopefully we have dodged a bullet.

“This time last year we had Dom (Sheed), Campbell Chesser and Oscar Allen and none of those guys played. So the bruising we got from last year, there are those fleeting moments that come into your mind. But we have to stay resilient; injuries are going happen and we’re just hoping for a better run at it – which we have, it’s just when you get one of those you do worry a bit.

“He’s a good healer and he will be fit and ready to go when he’s right.”

Simpson said the club had taken a cautious approach given the “scars” of last pre-season and Darling had undergone a series of scans in recent days. The man who sits third on the all-time goal-kicking list with 484 goals in 257 games has avoided surgery.

Only Josh Kennedy (712) and Peter Sumich (514) have been more productive in front of goals in Eagles history.

Meanwhile, emerging young forward Jack Williams had a scare of his own at training this morning after a knock during the session. He was taken to hospital with fears that he might have a punctured lung.

Williams has been an eye-catcher on the track recently and looms as yet another player in contention for early season opportunities.