West Coast coach Adam Simpson has confirmed high-flying debutant Liam Ryan struggled to get off the ground at a recent training camp and was flown home early by the club.
The 2018 premiership forward found the demands of November's pre-season stint at Stirling Range National Park difficult but there was nothing sinister in his early departure from the three-day camp for first-year players.
Premiership forward Liam Ryan struggled at a recent Eagles camp but was fit on Monday. Credit:Joe Armao
Simpson was all smiles at Monday's first official session for the club's senior players and dismissed reports Ryan, 22, had walked out on the camp.
"If people are struggling we don't take it any further and Liam struggled," Simpson said with a nervous laugh after Monday's session.
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"It was a physical camp. He's pretty fit, he ran well (on Monday), but he didn't handle it (the camp) too well to the back end, so we pulled him out and we took him home.
"Nothing too sinister. From what I heard reported as well (it) was a bit different than what actually happened.
"It's not 1985. We're not here to break these guys. It was to test them physically and he didn't get through it … but that's okay … I'm not too stressed about that."
Ryan played 13 games in a rollercoaster debut AFL season for the Geraldton product, which included a drink driving charge on the eve of the grand final after a car crash in July.
While the dynamic forward's early exit wasn't ideal, Simpson was pleased with the condition of the entire Eagles list at their first pre-season training session.
As the club winds down its premiership celebrations, Simpson must now manage how his players move on from their flag triumph and cope with a shortened pre-season schedule.
"Dealing with the satisfaction of a premiership, it's real. So how do we deal with that, how do we learn from other clubs?" Simpson said.
Jack Redden was one of several senior Eagles who officially trained for the first time since the 2018 grand final.
"Lots of past players around the club have gone through success and how they've dealt with it, so we've done a bit of work on that, but our players are pretty mature.
"A lot of guys are married with children and a bit more mature with how they handle things, so I'm not going to jump at shadows … we'll see how we go.
"There's always the satisfaction of the success we had this year, but I don't want to wait until round two or three before we start to realise there's another season on."
West Coast's new squad will train together only until December 14, which includes a camp next week in Dunsborough, then take three weeks off for Christmas before the players return to the club in January.
"The camp is just somewhere different to train, so it won't be a gruelling camp or anything like that," Simpson said.
"The process will be the same as last year, it's just they've got to do a lot of work on their own.
"What will become really important for every club is what happens in the three-week period (before) you come back in January.
"You can't afford to have anyone who's not up to it. I'm assuming the mature lists will be able to handle it better than the younger lists because it's so much responsibility on the kids now away from the club.
"Across the board in the competition, everyone understands what the off-season is now. For a couple of weeks you dont do too much but then you are back into it.
"We get a bit more time with the players in January and February. Today and the next couple of weeks we get back into it, get some fitness, assess the boys, work on some skills and then after Christmas we ramp it up."
Former Collingwood player Josh Smith was one of several players who impressed Simpson at the club's first full session since September's flag.
A rookie draft selection at pick 34, the ex-Pies utility started his first pre-season with West Coast in style, winning the 2km time trial in searing 37-degree heat from Andrew Gaff.
Premiership defender Will Schofield was among senior Eagles to return to training before a break on December 14.
"He brings some good outside run. He is a mature-age player for us. Hopefully he will have an impact at the senior level but if he doesnt he will help out with the younger guys as well with the WAFL Eagles," Simpson said.
Several Eagles slashed seconds off their personal bests at Monday's session in 37-degree heat, including Mark Hutchings (13 seconds quicker), Hamish Brayshaw (12 seconds), Brendon Ah Chee and Matt Allen (10 seconds), while Norm Smith medallist Luke Shuey recorded his fastest time trial in five years at the WA Athletics Stadium.
"It's only been 8 or 9 weeks since the grand final but we're really pleased with early results of time trials and skin folds and that sort of stuff.
"Every year you walk away from the testing and you have a look at who's improved and every year you see improvement … I think we had 10 or 11 PBs in the time trials."
Another positive sign for Simpson on Monday was the presence of superstar ruckman Nic Naitanui, who appears to have made serious inroads from a knee reconstruction after he suffered an ACL against the Magpies in round 17.
"Nic is going really well … we're really pleased with his progression," Simpson said.
"He's not too far away from joining in on the track and running around.
"I think it's been hard to determine a schedule, so I don't want to jump the gun … but I feel like he's definitely in front of the last knee (rehabilitation) that he did."
Key Eagles Elliot Yeo and Josh Kennedy are in rehab until the new year while Chris Masten and Tom Barrass are on modified training programs.
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