West Coast Eagles chief executive Don Pyke reveals expectations ahead of 2024 AFL season

West Coast chief executive Don Pyke has opened up on his expectations for the Eagles this season just weeks out from round one. Pyke is less than two months into his tenure as the CEO, having taken over from Trevor Nisbett at the start of the year. The two-time premiership Eagle takes over the club at a crucial time, with the Eagles coming off five wins over the past two years. Speaking at a function before the practice match against Fremantle at Mineral Resources Park, Pyke spoke in-depth about what they hope to accomplish in 2024. “We stand behind the last couple of seasons as not the level of footy we want to play,” Pyke said. “Talking to Adam (Simpson) and the coaching group, it starts with the spirit of how we’re going to play because some of the performances over the past couple of years, no one has been happy with. “When people turn up to the footy they want to see their team have a go, they want to see them play a style which embraces them in which they’re excited to come and watch their team play and they want to see them get better. “If we can do those three things for the year then what it means in terms of wins and losses it will be what it’ll be, it’s more the progress we want to show as a club and a team and bring everyone along with us in the journey.” West Coast are dealing with yet another plethora of injuries just weeks out from the season opener, but Pyke said it was to be expected because they’re training to a higher level. “It’s a fine balance and we’ve got a few guys today who are a week short of playing,” Pyke said. “To get better we’ve got to train and that’s the thing we’ve learned not so much from me but (fitness boss) Mat Inness who has come from the Western Bulldogs the game will demands what it demands and if we don’t train to the level it’s hard to make the gap up and at times we’ve been trying to make the gap up. “When you do train hard the risk is you get guys who pull up a bit sore and it’s just a challenge you face. You’re always trying to push the line and sometimes you go a bit over the top but I guarantee if we don’t have fit, available, durable players for 25 weeks it’ll find them out so we’ve got to train them that way.”