Elliot Yeo has been given the space to make his own decision on playing for West Coast this week following the death of his father Craig.
Craig died on Monday, with the Eagles wrapping their arms around Yeo and his family.
Yeo has been in at the club on Thursday and Friday but he will not be pushed into lining up — or sitting out — the clash with Hawthorn on Sunday.
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West Coast coach Adam Simpson said he will give Yeo right up until bouncedown to decide whether he wants to play.
“He’s got the flexibility, Elliot, this week. We’ve really tried to respect the situation he’s going through, which is tragic,” Simpson said.
“He popped into the club (on Thursday) for the morning. He’s here today, and we’ll see how he goes through the captain’s run.
“We’ll give him up to the last minute before the game. If he feels like he’s not up for it, then he won’t (play).”
Yeo is grieving the devastating loss between significant personal milestones.
Just last month he and fiancee Tess announced they are expecting their first child later this year, while last week Yeo signed a contract extension to remain with the Eagles.
Beyond Yeo’s availability for Sunday’s home game against the Hawks, West Coast will be boosted by the return of Harley Reid (suspension) and Tim Kelly (hip).
The match will serve as another test case for Optus Stadium’s surface following a week of heavy criticism.
The slippery nature of the turf at the Perth venue was thrust into the spotlight following last week’s clash between Fremantle and Gold Coast.
Players from both sides struggled to keep their feet throughout the match despite the fine conditions, raising concerns about the quality of the playing surface.
In response, Optus Stadium chief executive Mike McKenna said a new turf-management strategy would be considered for next season.
West Coast have stopped holding their main training sessions at Optus Stadium.
Simpson said that decision was partly due to the slippery surface, but mainly because his team are better suited to using the two ovals at their home base of Mineral Resources Park.
He was among many to raise concerns over the hardness of the playing surface at Optus Stadium when the venue opened in 2018, but now it’s become too slippery.
“It’s not fantastic. It could be better, they’ve admitted that,” Simpson said.
“But it’s OK. It’s not terrible.
“It gets a bit slippery on the bench-side wing, for reasons I don’t know. But both teams have got to deal with it.
“We’ll back in that they’ll get it right sooner or later. I’m not overly concerned by the surface.”
Former Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt this week labelled the Optus Stadium turf as “sub par”, while Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir also expressed some concerns.
“It’s less than ideal,” Longmuir said.
“It’s a slippery surface … inconsistent where the new grass is laid versus the old grass.”
– with AAP