West Coast midfielder Luke Shuey has some good news for Eagles fans - baby watch won't rub him out of any AFL finals this year.
Shuey's partner Danielle Orlando is due to give birth to their first child in mid-September.
It was initially feared that the due date could force Shuey to miss a final if he was playing interstate.
Shuey missed the round 19 loss to North Melbourne in Tasmania after flying back to Perth following a minor scare.
But West Coast's top-two finish means the Eagles won't need to travel for at least three more weeks - by which point the baby will have been born.
"It (me missing a final) won't happen. We're all sorted," said Shuey, who confirmed he will be present at the birth.
"We've planned for every possible situation. We realised that finishing top two was all we needed.
"It means we don't have to travel for at least three more weeks. We're going to be alright. The baby will be born before we travel again."
Shuey said he was looking forward to joining the dad's club at West Coast alongside Jeremy McGovern, Will Schofield, Chris Masten, Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling, and Jack Redden.
The impending birth of his baby boy has Shuey excited and he hopes there will be something else significant to celebrate in September as he prepares for West Coast's flag assault.
The Eagles can book a spot in the preliminary final if they can beat Collingwood at Optus Stadium on Saturday week.
Richmond are favourites to win the flag, but West Coast are quietly confident of their own chances.
But they will have to do it without star duo Nic Naitanui (knee) and Andrew Gaff (suspended), with both players out for the rest of the year.
"The challenge for our midfield is can we all elevate a little bit and cover for the loss of Gaffy and Nic," Shuey said.
"It's a challenge, no doubt. You can't replace either of those guys like for like."
The Eagles are confident Josh Kennedy (shin) and Lewis Jetta (calf) will return against the Magpies.
Share
