West Coast defender Harry Edwards is set for an extended stint on the sidelines as he deals with the latest concussion of his stop-start AFL career.
Edwards was concussed in the opening quarter of Sunday's 17-point win over North Melbourne when he copped an accidental arm to the head from teammate Matt Flynn in a marking contest.
Although the contact appeared to only be a glancing blow, Edwards slumped to the turf and looked groggy as he tried to regain his composure while on all fours.
Edwards eventually got up and tried to wave away the trainers, but soon slumped back to the turf.
The 24-year-old was playing his first match since suffering a concussion in the early stages of a pre-season loss to Port Adelaide.
Edwards has suffered other concussions earlier in his career, and after suffering two more in the space of the past month, the 56-game defender is now set to be given an extended break to look after his long-term health.
"I'm imagining he'll spend a little bit of time away from the game now trying to get himself healthy and right again, and we'll do everything we can to support him," West Coast coach Andrew McQualter said.
Edwards' setback is a massive blow to West Coast after star backman Jeremy McGovern was forced to retire last year due to his own concussion issues.
In better news, co-captain Liam Baker looks to have escaped major injury after injuring his ankle in the dying minutes of the match.
Baker's left ankle twisted awkwardly when Cam Zurhaar fell across his leg during a tackle, forcing the former Tiger off the ground.
"I think he's all good," McQualter said.
"He was jumping around inside the rooms, pretty happy, and I just looked at him and said, 'Are you alright?' And he said, 'Yeah, I think I've avoided something serious'."
West Coast's 17.9 (111) to 15.4 (94) win snapped a 12-game losing streak for the Eagles.
The club's rising stars shone brightly, with last year's No.1 pick Willem Duursma, their No.4 pick Cooper Duff-Tytler, second-year forwards Jobe Shanahan and Archer Reid all kicking two goals apiece.
Harley Reid, the No.1 draft pick from 2023, racked up a career-high 30 disposals, and was able to maintain his calm despite copping a physical battering from the Kangaroos.
McQualter praised Reid's growing maturity.
"He's working hard on his discipline," McQualter said.
"He's not going to be perfect, and that's OK. He's going to be playing on the edge, which is what we want him to do, because I'm a believer that the best players have to play on the edge, and that's a good part of his game."
West Coast will be aiming to make it two wins on the trot when they face Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
