Eagles amped to unleash excitement machine

West Coast small forward Liam Ryan has won plenty of admirers at WAFL level, and he now has the chance to strut his stuff on the AFL stage.

West Coast players can't wait to see Liam Ryan wreak havoc on opposition defences, but whether the club's midfield can get him the ball quick enough remains to be seen.

Ryan is set to be unleashed for the club's season opener against Sydney in Perth on Sunday week.

The 179cm pocket rocket has starred for WAFL side Subiaco in recent years, booting 73 goals last season.

Ryan, who boasts a highlights reel featuring plenty of hangars, showed patches of his brilliance during West Coast's pre-season matches.

But the lack of supply to the club's forward line meant Ryan struggled for opportunities.

West Coast's midfield has been highly criticised in the wake of last week's 62-point loss to Fremantle.

Defender Jeremy McGovern can't wait to see Ryan in action, but he said it's important for the 21-year-old to receive plenty of quick supply.

"He's an excitement package," McGovern said.

"He's got plenty of tricks. We played on him a couple of times through the pre-season. He moves really well, which is exciting for us, along with Willie Rioli.

"We've got a few boys who move really well in the forward half.

"If we can get it down to them quickly, it should go a long way towards helping us secure a few wins throughout the year I would imagine."

West Coast lost the inside 50m count 61-33 against the Dockers last Sunday after their midfield got obliterated.

McGovern is confident it was merely a blip, rather than the start of a worrying trend.

"Internally I'm pretty confident in our midfield. I've got full faith in them," McGovern said.

"We get Nic Naitanui back, throw in Brendon Ah Chee - he's going to add extra value to it."

Star spearhead Josh Kennedy (ankle) will miss the start of the season, while Naitanui faces a race against time to be fit for round one.


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Source: AAP


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