West Coast Eagles turn attention to Hawthorn’s Tyler Brockman after Deven Robertson stays with Brisbane

Robertson, known more for competitiveness and character than silky skills, would have brought a mature body and attitude to the Eagles midfield. The aim, as recruiter Rohan O’Brien put it yesterday, was to get players of the right age and character to build a new team with.

But it is a trap for bottom of the ladder clubs to think fringe midfielders at top end clubs will end up as mainstream midfielders in their developing line ups.

It is a credit to Robertson that he forced his way into the Lions senior team this year and played 16 games, including the grand final. He did so in the knowledge the return of Will Ashcroft to the senior team next year - and the arrival of Levi Ashcroft a year further on - would put his spot in the team in peril; a factor seemingly in West Coast’s favour.

By the same measure, had he made the move west, Reuben Ginbey and Elijah Hewett would be aiming to move past Robertson in the pecking order by 2025, their third seasons in AFL football.

If West Coast hold true to their stated aim of taking Harley Reid with the number one pick in the draft then he, by year two in the system, might also be ahead of Robertson. Throw in Tim Kelly and Dom Sheed and Robertson could have found himself almost as far down the midfield pecking order at the Eagles as at Brisbane.

Robertson would have brought some depth to the Eagles engine room but what they really need is quality. That quality is going to come from players like Ginbey, Hewett and Reid.

Robertson, the nephew of former Eagles skipper Darren Glass, has outstanding character and is a willing and strong worker around the contest which enabled him to play a role in Brisbane’s push to the grand final, playing 13 of the club’s last 15 games this year.

He wasn’t their worst on grand final day either, with 13 disposals and a goal enough to keep him on the field when Chris Fagan made the call to sub Callum Ah Chee out.

Robertson has also shown a capacity to work hard to fight his way into the Lions’ senior team late in seasons when finals were looming, a sign of his character. He has played 41 games but seven of them have been finals. In 2022, three of his eight matches were finals and he performed creditably in them.

But one of the things that has served the Eagles well over their history is the willingness to use the draft during their brief visits to the bottom of the ladder.

It is where clubs build top end quality from and West Coast, who don’t face the short term financial pressures many other clubs do, can take the picks and take the time that the picks take to develop.

They will pick up GWS big man Matt Flynn as a free agent to bolster their ruck stocks and put support around the improved Bailey Williams. They are in the box seat to take Tyler Brockman from Hawthorn. West Coast is aiming to trade for Brockman but they can use the pre-season draft as a lever to make sure they don’t pay too much for the 20-year-old forward.

They currently have four picks inside 40 in the draft order, perhaps more if a rival club comes with an outrageous offer to try and get their hands on Reid.

They should stay the course and take the picks now.