West Coast Eagles coach Adam Simpson still hopes forward Jack Darling will feature this season, despite the veteran's failure to comply with the AFL's COVID-19 protocols.
Darling has been banned from attending the Eagles' headquarters or training ground since January 21, the deadline for all players and staff at WA's AFL clubs to have received a first coronavirus vaccination dose.
The 236-game veteran has been left to train alone until he complies with the mandate, although he remains in discussions with the club about his future.
Simpson said while he had not been involved in those discussions, he would like to see the issue resolved soon.
"It's a really complicated situation isn't it. There's obviously the mandate and the rules in place through government," he said.
"But the rules are the rules, in terms of you can't train or work if you're not vaccinated. They need to work through that with the club and I'm sure they will."
No Darling leaves 'a little hole': Simpson
The likely absence of last year's leading goalkicker presents a serious headache for a side looking to push back into the AFL's top eight.
Simpson said while he remained optimistic for a positive outcome, the side would find a way to fill the void left by Darling if it came to that point.
"Oscar Allen is part of our future. Josh Kennedy playing around for another year is important for us. Jakey Waterman [is an option]," he said.
"But it's left a little hole we need to work through. Hopefully, we can get him back. It's still four or five weeks before we start playing games."
Simpson said he had been in touch with Darling and was sympathetic to the 29-year-old's situation, but his main focus remained to ensure the rest of the Eagles squad was on track for the coming season.
"Can we stay on task is really important," he said.
"We still want to support him as much as we can. But we've got a job to do as well. Finding that balance is really important for us."
Eagles 'got it wrong' over AFLW Pride guernsey
Meanwhile, West Coast CEO Trevor Nisbett has again apologised for the club's handling of the AFLW Pride Round.
The Eagles faced criticism for being alone among the league's 14 clubs in not having a dedicated Pride guernsey.
That criticism intensified following comments from AFLW coach Michael Prior, who told The West Australian newspaper "the pride stuff had been done to death".
In a statement released to Eagles members, Nisbett said the club had made a mistake.
"In short, we got it wrong by not having a Pride Round guernsey ready for 2022," he said.
"We have always acknowledged the role of the AFLW Pride Round in promoting recognition and inclusion for LGBQTIA+ people and the challenges faced by the community."
Nisbett said West Coast had a long history of promoting diversity and inclusion, both in Indigenous and multicultural communities, as well as female-focussed football programs and activities.
