Naitanui defiant amid Eagles' injury woes

West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui is optimistic the Eagles can prove the doomsdayers wrong as the AFL club attempts to overcome a crippling injury crisis and the growing threat of COVID-19.

Defender Harry Edwards became the second Eagle to enter the AFL's Health and Safety Protocols, following on from star forward Liam Ryan last week.

With COVID-19 cases in Western Australia rising by the day and the border set to reopen on March 3, West Coast and Fremantle could be hit hard early in the season.

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In contrast, most teams on the eastern states have already battled big outbreaks within their player groups, meaning they are unlikely to be as heavily affected during the season.

Compounding West Coast's woes is an injury list that has hit astronomical proportions combined with Jack Darling's continued banishment from the club for not being vaccinated.

Premiership hero Dom Sheed and first-round draft pick Campbell Chesser are set to miss half the season after suffering serious ankle injuries in last week's 97-point practice match loss to Fremantle.

Star midfielder Elliot Yeo will miss about a month with the calf injury he suffered in the same match.

That triple injury blow followed on from a cursed summer in which Jamie Cripps (pectoral), Oscar Allen (foot), Greg Clark (shoulder), and Tom Cole (ankle) were also cut down by serious injuries.

Skipper Luke Shuey is expected to miss the start of the season following his latest hamstring injury, while All-Australian defender Brad Sheppard was forced into early retirement due to concussion.

The doom and gloom has led to many critics writing off West Coast as a finals threat, with some even going as far as tipping them for the wooden