2017 record: 12-10, semi-final loss

Position: 8th after home-and-away season, eliminated in the semi finals

Season review: The Eagles were smashed by the press in 2017, mainly because they either played brilliant or putrid footy with little in-between. Losses to Hawthorn, St Kilda, Gold Coast and Collingwood showed their poor side most clearly, however their effort to scrape into the finals by beating Adelaide in round 23 and then defeat Port Adelaide after the siren in the elimination final redeemed the season. Coach Adam Simpson came under fire but kept his head under that pressure. Admirably, he was never too hard on his players when many wouldn't have criticised him for giving them a clip in public.

Grade: B+

Unsigned free agents: Mark LeCras

Retirements/delistings: Paddy Brophy, Sam Butler, Sam Mitchell, Drew Petrie, Matt Priddis (all retired)

WHERE THEY'RE AT

The Eagles are in an interesting place and as Simpson stated after their semi-final loss, they are a side in transition and will look a lot different next year. With Nic Naitanui coming back from his serious knee injury (as well as Scott Lycett) and the continuity in his footy helping Nathan Vardy, there will be no shortage of ruckmen at the Eagles. With Sam Butler, Drew Petrie, Sam Mitchell and Matthew Priddis all retiring, they not only lose experience but some serious class, quality and leadership. It was a brilliant All Australian season by the "human vacuum" in defence, Jeremy McGovern, who marks everything in the back half of the ground. Josh Kennedy's attempt to win his third consecutive Coleman Medal after missing six weeks of footy was amazing too.

WHAT THEY NEED

What an enormous void Mitchell and Priddis leave. Brownlow medals and best and fairest awards coming out of their ears, not to mention premierships. Their contested ball and clearance work was first-class as was the consistency they delivered. The Eagles will need Liam Duggan and Dom Sheed to take the next steps in their development and step up alongside Luke Shuey, who is a game winner on his day.

With Mark LeCras in the back-end of his career and Josh Hill fluctuating in form, they need consistent avenues to goal from their mid to small forwards who can work at the feet of Jack Darling, Kennedy and the resting ruck.

Carrying an iconic name of West Coast's history, the Eagles are in Brandon Matera's blood. Last year's near cross-town defection of Hayden Ballantyne showed that small forwards were on Simpson's mind. Matera, a Perth man, would provide that natural instinct around goals and has a lot more years left on the clock than Ballantyne. Veteran LeCras could even show him the ropes. Matera, at 25, might just need that chance to really take his career by the scruff of the neck. After 101 games and 124 goals he should be coming into the peak of what he can produce. In 2017 he played 10 games for 22 goals with a season-high six against the Hawks in round six, so he knows how to find the target.

WHAT COACH ADAM SIMPSON SAYS

"We still think we've got a young list with some good A-grade potential that are still going to be here next year. We'll be younger and we need to draft well and look at trade ... but now it becomes an opportunity for some of our younger players. They've got to step up in some senior players' absence."

- with Anthony Colangelo