Assistant coach Hamish Hartlett said the coaching group has options to help fill the void left by injured players Connor Rozee and Miles Bergman.

Ollie Wines has served his three-game suspension from last season, while others have been pressing their case at SANFL level throughout pre-season to get a call-up into the AFL side.

Addressing the media on Thursday, Hartlett spoke about what will be considered at the selection table, how the game is evolving, and what he expects from West Coast.

Hartlett on Ollie Wines returning from suspension
“It's a decision that will be made probably this afternoon, and we’ll see how he gets through training today. Clearly, he's a player that we know if we bring in, he's going to be very handy for us. And from a conditioning point of view, I don't think there'll be any problems there. We probably need to just figure out what's going to be best for him in terms of minutes, and so where that lands, this afternoon after the training session, we’ll wait and see.

“Nothing will change with Ollie (and his role), and what he's been able to do for the last of 15 years in his AFL career. He can come in and be a big inside body for us when we need it. There’s absolutely still a case for the guys on the inside of the contest to be able to get their hands on it. And there’s almost no one better in the competition than Ollie in doing that. And not only that, but the fatigue that sets in later in games now calls for players that can actually still just keep plugging away, contest to contest. And Ollie's sensational at doing that too. So whilst he might not have the absolute speed that some other players have, his willingness to just grind and be able to just continue getting up and back through our games is very, very important.”

Hartlett on Lachie Jones
“Not much really came up on the scan for Jonesy last week, but given his history of soft tissue stuff, it was beneficial for us to take the more cautious route. He should have a good run around today, and provided he comes out the back end of that okay, he'll be putting his hand up for selection again as well.”

Hartlett on how the game is different this year
“A lot of people are talking about the speed of the game. I think that's pretty evident. I think the game over the last few years has been evolving into more of a transition game. I think with the rule changes, that's come to the fore even more. Teams are scoring heavily, and the teams aren’t defending overly well in behind the ball, they're getting exposed a bit, so the margins are becoming bigger in that sense. Certainly the speed of it has changed. Given my soft tissue injury history, I probably wouldn't like to be playing it myself, to be honest. So glad that there's other blokes doing that at the moment.”

Hartlett on selection this week
“The Miles (Bergman replacement) across half back, we do have a bit of flexibility with guys like Jase Burgoyne, Jacob Wehr played half back a little bit in his time at GWS. So we've got some guys that are capable of playing that role. And as we spoke about earlier, hopefully Jonesy gets through okay and he can just fill that void for us. And in around the midfield, the quick feet, particularly at centre bounce, is something that we'll need to address without Connor being there. So whether that's Hornet spending a bit more time there, Joey Richards has spent some time in around the footy as well. Just guys that are a bit lighter on their feet are going to be important in that part of the game. So conversations to be had this afternoon as to how we fill those roles.”

Hartlett on Jason Horne-Francis
“We're really conscious of building up Horny's midfield minutes appropriately. Just because Connor’s out, doesn't mean that Jason is going to absorb all those midfield minutes. I think that'd be irresponsible of us to do that. So I dare say, he’ll spend a bit more time there. But we saw how damaging he can be forward for us too. So we'll make sure we get that mix right.”

Hartlett on Sunday’s game starting a midday
“I can’t recall playing too many early ones in my day, but I do know that the boys enjoy just being able to pop out of bed, having a feed and then just rolling straight into things. Sometimes these later games you're looking for things to do to fill the time. So from our point of view, we love the challenge, I guess, of just being able to get up and roll into it. Then we train early. West Coast train early normally anyway. So it's not too dissimilar to doing that.”

Hartlett on whether the time difference is a disadvantage to West Coast
“Oh, we won't be tipping into those little nuances, into making them seem like they're going to be an advantage to us. West Coast, they're a professional football team. They usually travel two days prior to games as well, just to adjust to everything and they’ve been doing it forever and a day, so they'll be fine. We won't be looking to that as an advantage for us, we’ll just be looking to play the game the right way.”

Hartlett on West Coast’s strengths
“They've actually been really impressive. I know the scoreboard hasn't necessarily reflected the way that they've played in the first few weeks, even against us in Perth a few weeks ago, statistically, they're actually matching up pretty well. Their pressure in around the footy is exceptional. Obviously, they had a host of young, talented players that played really well on the weekend and drove a lot of the energy. And not just Harley Reid, but Willem Duursma, couple of the key forwards, Jobe Shanahan and Archer Reid, kicking goals and they've got a fit Elliot Yeo and Jack Graham and these guys that have come in and made a big difference for them. So we know their contest stuff is exceptional, their pressure is great, and they're playing good footy off the back of that.”

Hartlett on former AFL player Leigh Ryswyk coming out as gay
“I think it's great that anyone can, regardless of status or whatever, can just come out and be who they are, and as a community, not just in football, but in general, we need to be better at being more accepting in these circumstances. And it's a great opportunity for everyone to say well done to Leigh. And for anyone else that's feeling those emotions about uncertainty with themselves as a person, come out and let's embrace them and do better as a society doing that. Well done to Leigh for being brave in that situation. I hope that if there are guys (in the AFL) that are gay, that they feel comfortable coming out and being exactly who they are. If they're good people, that's the main thing. And I know Leigh is that person.”