Good news for West Coast Eagles :He is back

“Best friends” are back on the path

The Eagles’ first- through fourth-year players have completed their first day of preseason play.

Rising star forward Noah Long, who made 19 appearances in his club debut, stated that he and his teammates have been eager to get back on the track.

Long remarked, “It’s exciting; it seems like it’s been a while in the making.”

Our young boys have been practicing together and kicking the legs over for a short while now that we’ve returned.

“But it’s exciting to be back officially, and I think everyone is ready to start over and move forward again.”

The players were put through a rigorous workout by West Coast’s new High Performance Manager, Mathew Inness. The session began with a Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) test, which is a helpful tool for accurately assessing a player’s cardiovascular fitness.

In the MAS test, participants run a predefined distance and time at a steadily faster pace, increasing until they reach their maximum sustainable effort.

According to Long, “it was solid, super solid.”

While trying something new was beneficial, the test wasn’t any simpler than the others.

“We had been told several times that it would be something different, but until today, it was fairly new, I don’t think anyone had ever done it. We knew (it was coming), but we weren’t sure exactly how it was going to work out.

A hamstring injury suffered in round 18 against Richmond sidelined fellow young midfielder Reuben Ginbey, but the Dunsborough native appears to be in great form, slaying the MAS test and setting a high bar for his teammates.

According to Long, “he’s in great shape right now and has kind of been the benchmark for boys to catch over the off-season so far.”

You can’t catch him, no matter how hard you or anyone else tries.

“After his hammy last year, I think he’s had a good opportunity to get super fit again and add a bit more size. He’s set a great standard so far for the boys to get to.”

Long stated that after a difficult 2023 season, an emphasis was placed on strengthening the bonds and friendships within the team, which has improved the overall experience.

“We tried to get as close and best friends as we could, from our first-year group last year, that was a bit of an emphasis,” Long remarked.

It seems to have spread to the entire first- to fourth-year group, which makes training a lot more fun now that we’re all best friends working out and improving together.

“Training alongside your friends is an exciting and incredibly fun experience.”

Long discusses the reasons behind his decision to stay in the blue and gold after agreeing to a two-year contract extension last month.

Long remarked, “So far, I’ve loved it.”

“I think moving from rural Victoria to Perth is simple. The club has been really helpful to me, and I’ve made some great friends. It’s really a no-brainer, and I’ve loved it.”

“I’m extremely grateful and happy to be able to sign on for an additional two years, and I hope to keep improving and growing with the younger crew.”