West Coast hope their horror injury run this year will end up improving their chances of snaring the AFL premiership in 2014.
The Eagles started the season as second favourites to win the flag, but are unlikely to even make the finals after slipping three wins behind eighth spot.
West Coast have struggled to put their best team out on the park all year, with key players Daniel Kerr, Nic Naitanui, Sharrod Wellingham, Andrew Embley, Scott Selwood, Shannon Hurn, Beau Waters, Mark LeCras, Sam Butler, Matt Rosa, Mark Nicoski, Will Schofield and Luke Shuey all missing sizeable chunks.
In their absence, fringe players such as Bradd Dalziell, Jamie Cripps, Adam Carter, Mark Hutchings, Blayne Wilson, Callum Sinclair and Scott Lycett have all gained valuable AFL experience.
It was a similar case to West Coast's wooden spoon campaign in 2010, when a dreadful run on the injury front allowed the club to develop a host of fringe players who then added vital depth to the team's 2011 run to the preliminary final.
Premiership midfielder Butler, who has been limited to just 10 of a possible 17 games this year, believes the club's premiership window will still be open for a few more years to come.
"We'd love to have our best 22 out there every week," Butler said.
"But if injuries are going to happen, a great by-product of it is that young players will get a chance and get five to 10 games that they might not have otherwise.
"That sets us up not just for next year but, hopefully, for the years after that."
Butler has never played more than 16 games in a year, with a string of soft-tissue injuries limiting his availability throughout his 103-game, nine-year career.
But the likeable 27-year-old, who is contracted for next year, isn't contemplating retirement just yet.
"It seems to be my average to play four or five games and then miss two or three," Butler said.
"It does bring you down at times.
"I'm always striving to try to break that cycle. I just haven't been able to find out how yet."
West Coast have set their sights on winning all five of their remaining games, starting with Saturday's match against Gold Coast at Patersons Stadium.
Share
