Gavin Bell - West Coast GM of Footy (05.08.2026)

**Mark Duffield** (0:00)
Welcome back to the SENWA studio. We're out here at Optus Stadium. It is a Wednesday morning in Perth, 15.6 degrees outside at the moment, building to a top of 20 degrees. The West Coast Eagles very nearly upset the Scott Pendleby party at the MCG when they played Collingwood earlier in the year. They faced the Magpies again at Optus Stadium this time on Sunday this weekend. Their general manager, Footy, Gavin Bell, joins me on the show. Gavin, welcome.

**Gavin Bell** (0:28)
Yeah, good morning, Duff. Thanks for having me.

**Mark Duffield** (0:30)
Mate, last week was one of the more disappointing losses of the year. How has the team regrouped in the wake of that?

**Gavin Bell** (0:38)
Yeah, it certainly was. It was disappointing for players, staff, members, supporters, fans, Duff.
We did a lot right in the game and we just weren't able to finish off our work and we were a bit tardy in our D50 at times as well, mate. So yeah, it was disappointing not to get the win. We prepared really strongly. We had a good plan, but just weren't able to finish it off. So yeah, the boys had a strong review on that yesterday, back in this morning. And I guess from a perspective point of view, we've had young Matilda, our telephone champion in with her family to speak to the playing groups of both the W and the men's program. And it's just that perspective, mate, that understanding what some other families have been going through and why our game this week against Collingwood is important from getting a win point of view, but also representing Telephone and raising as much money as we can with with Shure and partners for that for that combination that we're trying to do.

**Mark Duffield** (1:38)
Absolutely one of the most magnificent causes, of course, in Western Australia. And fantastic to see the Eagles involved in that for this weekend's clash against Collingwood. So roll up and show you support all West Coast fans.
The make up of the team, Gavin, I was interested in the way you went because Cooper Duff Titler had basically played his way into the team with four goals in the waffle. Jack Williams had probably done enough to stay in the team by kicking to and providing ruck support for Bailey Williams. With the benefit of hindsight, did you go in a little bit tall? And would you look at rejigging things a little bit so that all these players can stay in the team, but maybe play in different roles, maybe Shanahan, back to the back line or something like that?

**Gavin Bell** (2:25)
Yeah, potentially Duff. I mean, the guys, the coaches will go through all of that and revisit the scenarios that we had planned where we were well prepared for what the opposition put to us and our positioning and the side we selected. They go through all of that with a strong review.
In saying that, we don't kick three goals 17, it's maybe say 10 goals 10 or 11 goals 9 We're probably really happy with the side that we picked. So yeah, it's just trying to keep that hindsight with hindsight and reflection forward, like how we can actually continue to get better.

**Mark Duffield** (3:02)
The ongoing struggles of Jake Waterman in front of goal. Do you tell Jake to double down and work harder or is it time to almost go the other way and tell him to take a break and try and clear his head?

**Gavin Bell** (3:16)
Well, Jake being a pro, we'll be back out there. We'll be back on practising his routine, making sure he's getting as much practise in as he can, working in with our coaches. The message from the coaching staff, I will just leave that to them. Whatever the message with his forward line coach and Mini as the senior coach, just to give Jake the best chance to come back out and keep a bag of five the other week.
Yeah, certainly a lot of confidence in Jake so he can get back and hit the scoreboard in the way we all know he can.

**Mark Duffield** (3:46)
And we saw a lot of emotion from Willem Duursma in the aftermath of the game. He had a couple of probably moments he would like back, I guess, late in that match. How do you deal with Willem this week and will he definitely play against the Pies?

**Gavin Bell** (4:01)
Yeah, all things this week will be through his training and stuff. Duff, he'll be right to go at this point in time. There's no question mark on him in that regard. Yeah, he was emotional post game and he probably didn't play his best game, but he's had an enormous season and we couldn't be prouder of the way that young Duurs has adapted to playing AFL Footy, being on the road every second week. He had probably been in the plane more this year than he's been in his life. So we're really proud and pleased with the progress that he's shown and what he's given our team. And I think the emotion is a good thing from my end anyway, Duff having a chat with him yesterday.