West Coast Eagles draftees Bo Allan, Hamish Davis and Malakai Champion back WAFL pathway for AFL prospects

West Coast Eagles’ trio of local draftees have encouraged up-and-coming WA prospects to test the WAFL league waters to ease the transition from playing against boys to men. Bo Allan, Hamish Davis and Malakai Champion enjoyed their first official training sessions as AFL-listed players on Monday, meeting their new teammates as the bulk of the senior players hit the track for the first time in pre-season. While they were all taken at very different points of the draft, Allan, Davis and Champion all have one thing in common — multiple games of senior WAFL football over the past year. Davis, for example, was one of the draft’s big fallers before West Coast snapped him up with the 65th pick, having played seven games for Claremont. “It was an internal goal I had from the start of the season to play some some league footy and I was lucky enough to play seven games,” Davis said. “It was obviously tough at first, going from playing with all your best mates and things like that to playing with people you don’t know so well, but the group was so good at transitioning me and getting around me, which made it much easier.” Davis kicked three goals against Subiaco in their final game of the regular season, before booting four against reigning premiers East Fremantle in the elimination final a week later. He said he would recommend any potential draftees to work their way into the senior set-up and making use of the resources available to them. “Playing under Ash Prescott, he has so much knowledge and was so helpful for me, going through vision each week,” Davis said. “It was certainly tough at first, but I feel like I got more comfortable each week and game I played. “There are a few boys down at Claremont that will definitely go pretty close to a league game next year and I think that’s the way to go — playing against those bigger bodies holds you in good stead for later on.” Allan, the Eagles’ first-round pick and 16th overall selection, said long-term he viewed himself as a midfielder, but was eager to earn a spot in defence to start his career. He played nine games for Peel at the back end of last season, including an 11-disposal, six-tackle effort in the Thunder’s grand final victory, and Allan said playing in the cauldron of WAFL finals football helped prepare him for his future. “It’s a semi-professional environment down there at Peel. To be a part of the senior program there is great, a really high caliber of players and coaches,” he said. “It’s obviously a step up in intensity and they’re bigger bodies as well — it’s put me in good stead for what’s to come now.” Champion, meanwhile, was drafted as a rookie Next Generation Academy pick, after kicking seven goals in five games for Subiaco, and he credited Subiaco coach Beau Wardman for easing the transition from colts to league. While he joked about having to do the senior players’ running for them, he said it was also the most fun he had all season. “You play against blokes who have played over 50 league games, even played AFL and come back down into the WAFL system,” he said. “There’s a lot more smarter football players out there, a lot of faster ones, a lot more fit one, so you’ve got to be ready to pick the first or the best option straight away.” Allan, Davis and Champion all endured a punishing fitness test among their new teammates on Monday, with Davis in particular impressing with an impressive effort in the running drill.