As speculation swirls over whether West Coast will be granted an assistance package, AFL great Tim Watson has hit out at the very idea of priority picks, calling them a reward for failure.
With just one win to their name in 2025 and a wooden spoon all but guaranteed, the Eagles are widely tipped to request AFL support.
But Watson, speaking on SEN Breakfast, pulled no punches in questioning the integrity of the system.
“You should pay for that as a team and a club”
“I hate it,” Watson said. “I hate this whole idea of priority picks. It goes to the heart of your administration of your club.
“If you’re making poor decisions, if you’re not doing your planning correctly and you’re not putting the right people in place in your organisation, the rest of the competition shouldn’t have to pay for that.
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“You should pay for that as a team and a club, and you should go through the hard years of a rebuild and then identify the right people that can assist you in that rebuild, as opposed to the AFL just handing you some form of advantage over the rest of the competition.
“I just don’t think that we should tolerate it.”
Since 2022, the Eagles have managed only 10 wins, despite securing top picks like Harley Reid and Reuben Ginbey.
The club’s bold trade decisions, such as sending multiple first-rounders to Geelong for Tim Kelly, and recent contract extensions to ageing stars like Kelly and Elliot Yeo have only added to scrutiny over their long-term list strategy.