West Coast ruckman Scott Lycett will avoid a full knee reconstruction and is expected to recover from surgery by the start of the 2017 AFL season.
With Nic Naitanui already ruled out for most of next year with a torn ACL, there were fears Lycett could join him on the sidelines after carrying a posterior cruciate ligament injury for much of the season.
But the Eagles on Friday said Lycett had received good news from surgeons and should be free to line up for round one next year after having an operation next week.
The 23-year-old met with Melbourne surgeon Julian Feller on Wednesday for a second opinion, after his initial consultation with a surgeon in Perth.
Lycett's positive prognosis makes it less likely the Eagles will pursue delisted Kangaroos veteran Drew Petrie, who was identified as a possible short-term addition to the club's depleted ruck stocks.
The Eagles are, however, still likely to compete with Fremantle to lure Greater Western Sydney big man Rory Lobb to his home state of Western Australia.
Lobb is contracted to the Giants for 2017 and the Eagles will need to come up with a sweet deal to secure the 206cm emerging star.
West Coast tasked journeyman Jonathan Giles with backing up Lycett after Naitanui's season-ending injury but the 28-year-old is not considered a long-term replacement.
Star Eagles Josh Kennedy (hernia), Matt Priddis (back) and Jeremy McGovern (shoulder) have all undergone minor operations over the past week but are expected to recover in time for pre-season training.
