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Liverpool vs Arsenal LIVE from 3amTrade Talk: The Eagles' offer to get Starcevich and keep Pick Two
Nicholas Quinlan • August 31st, 2025 4:00 pm
The West Coast Eagles are taking the 'if you don't ask, you'll never know' mentality as they try to negotiate a never-before-seen assistance package with the AFL.
Having gone through one of the worst seasons in V/AFL history with a 1-22 record, the Eagles have already reached out to the AFL about the possibility of receiving an assistance package back in July.
The Eagles have also been active in the recruiting space as they try to add experience to their list. One of the names that has been connected to the side has been Brisbane’s Brandon Starcevich.
The 26-year-old, who has played 128 games for the Lions across eight years, becomes a restricted free agent this year as his contract is set to finish, meaning West Coast would not have to trade for him unless the Lions matched their deal.
But if Starcevich signs, then this would see their compensation pick for Oscar Allen diminish in value.
And with that in mind, the Eagles are currently angling to try and get the best of both worlds through their assistance package, as Sam Edmund told SEN’s Crunch Time.
“The Cal Twomey report (on Tuesday) is that the West Coast are looking for extra rookie spots, that’s one thing,” he explained.
“But the most contentious element is asking the league to allow them to bring in Brandon Starcevich without diluting their compensation for Oscar Allen, which we all expect to be as high as pick two.
“It’s never been done, it’s never happened before, it’s never been allowed, but this is the negotiation around assistance packages.”
Reacting to the possibility of Starcevich joining the club without diluting their free agency compensation from Allen, Cornes thinks it is a creative way of helping the Eagles out.
But he does worry about the effects this could have on other struggling sides in Essendon and St Kilda.
“It doesn’t offend me,” Cornes admitted.
“I think it has less impact. The thing I worry about with things like this is that the assistance packages is that it shuffles everyone else back.
“Like Essendon needs an assistance package more than West Coast needs an assistance package. I don’t want their picks to be shuffled back because someone is handed extra draft picks.
“I guess in essence this could shuffle them back and change that pick two.
“But this doesn’t offend me as just handing out a free pick, which then hurts St Kilda and Essendon or everyone else who needs that access to the top end of the draft.
“It’s innovative, it’s creative…I don’t know where it lands with the AFL, but they (West Coast) clearly need help.”
Coming into this year’s draft, the Eagles could have as many as three picks inside the top 15 as they have their own first-rounder (No.1) alongside Hawthorn’s first-round pick, which is currently Pick 11, so long as the Hawks lose to GWS in the Elimination Final.
They will also be hoping that Oscar Allen’s deal with Brisbane will see the AFL award them Pick No.2 for compensation.
