The Eagles have used just 28 players in the first 10 rounds. Adelaide (27) is the only team that has used fewer, while the Gold Coast Suns and Collingwood have called on 36 soldiers apiece this season already.

A club's list start to really get stretched when they get that far into them.

And the Pies look certain to take the lead on that particular ladder next week after the hurdles they hit against the Western Bulldogs on the weekend.

Of those 28 players to wear and Eagles jumper this season, three of them – Lewis Jetta, Jack Redden and now Tom Cole – are new to the club in 2016.

Liam Duggan and Jackson Nelson have also had opportunities to gain experience. Duggan is one of 14 Eagles to have played in every game this season.

None of them look out of place on a football field and you can expect to see a lot more of them before the season is out.

Don't be surprised to see two more youngsters, Tom Barrass and Tom Lamb, given their chances in the next few weeks, while Mitch Brown made a return through the WAFL on Saturday.

Plus, Simpson also has Xavier Ellis playing for East Perth, Andrew Gaff will return to play against the Western Bulldogs next weekend and Elliot Yeo will bush to make the trip to Etihad Stadium as well.

But Simpson knows that as good as all of that sounds, things can turn around very quickly.

"It's a good problem to have at the moment and it does change really quick, as you've seen with injuries – at the moment we missed Gaff and Yeo today, which gave opportunity," Simpson said.

"But sooner or later we're going to have to get some of these guys into the side, just because they are playing so well at East Perth.

"We're always in a development phase.

"We want to future proof our club; we don't just want to stick with the same players every week.

"We need to give these guys a chance even when we don't have injuries.

"Tom Cole has been very good for us at East Perth, deserves his chance. Barrass, Nelson and we have Xavier Ellis and Browny is coming back as well; so good depth to call upon. We can't just wait for injuries.'

The fifth-placed Eagles meet the sixth-placed Dogs next Saturday – with West Coast chasing its first win in Melbourne since round 16 of last season.

But for the winner is almost guaranteed a spot in the top four.

Above them and on the same number of wins going into round 11, are Geelong (third) and the GWS Giants (fourth) and they play one another at Simonds Stadium.

Simpson comes up again against one of his former colleagues (when at Hawthorn) in Luke Beveridge.

The Eagles boss is expected a heavily contested battle, but knows that his players need to be ready for it if they want to be successful.

"I think you have to win ugly and when it gets closer and closer to finals type football, there isn't much pure football that you see in transition," he said.

"There is always a contest you have to win before you can score or before you prevent a score and that's what makes the Bulldogs so strong.

"The contested ball and what they are doing at the moment is second to none."