Hamish Davis says West Coast’s first competitive hit out of 2026 has injected fresh energy into the group, with the young wingman eager to build on his strong summer in the final pre-season match against Port Adelaide.

After weeks of facing familiar faces on the training track, Davis said it was a welcome change to take on Fremantle in last weekend’s match simulation.

“It feels good this time of year,” Davis said.

“We’re all itching to get playing against real opposition.

“It gets a bit repetitive playing against your own teammates over and over again, so we really enjoyed that hit out against Fremantle and we’re looking forward to Port Adelaide this weekend.”

With some senior players likely to miss another week, opportunities have emerged for younger members of the squad to stake their claim.

“It’s a ‘next man up’ mentality,” Davis said.

“These younger boys are coming in and really impacting. It shows the depth we’ve got this year.”

Davis has spent the summer competing with a talented group of emerging wingmen, including No.1 draftee Willem Duursma, versatile second-year Eagle Bo Allan and emerging left-footer Clay Hall.

“Competition’s really close at the moment, especially on the wing,” Davis said.

“We’re all putting our best foot forward.”

After playing most of last year on the wing, Davis said the role has started to feel more natural in his second pre-season.

“In your first year there’s so much going on and so many things going through your head,” Davis said.

“This year it’s been about implementing what I’ve learned. I’ve got a clearer understanding of the role and the running patterns, and the coaches have been great helping me with that.”

Running power remains a major strength for the 19-year-old, who has worked hard across the off-season to further build his endurance.

“That’s what I need to keep working at, testing the opposition winger with that endurance,” Davis said.

“In our system the wing plays a vital role defensively, helping the backs.

“You’ve got to work back hard and then screw your guts up to get forward as well. There’s a lot of running involved, but I like it that way.”

With Andrew McQualter entering his second season as senior coach, Davis said the team has developed a clearer understanding of the game plan and their individual roles.

That greater clarity was noticeable throughout parts of the match against Fremantle last Saturday.

“Everything is really simple now,” Davis said.

“Everyone’s got a really good understanding of their role. We’re getting the hang of the system a lot better this year.

“It was a good chance (against Fremantle) to implement what we’ve been working on.

“There’s still plenty of growth areas to take away from it.”