West Coast champion Dean Cox is set for an elevation in his blossoming coaching career that further paves the way for the arrival of discarded North Melbourne big man Drew Petrie to the Eagles.
And passage for a stunning switch of feisty Fremantle small forward Hayden Ballantyne to West Coast is also opening up in this month's trade period.
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Axed West Coast Eagle Corey Adamson doesn't expect to be re-drafted in November and is planning a return to the baseball field with the Perth Heat. Vision: Ten Eyewitness News.
Ballantyne, 29, is set to become the highest-profile Docker to ever join the Eagles after the 141-gamer asked to be traded with a year still to run on his contract.
The gutsy forward wants a swap to round out his flamboyant career after a season of internal unrest around Fremantle and prospects of a substantial rebuild of its playing stocks after a 4-18Â season.Â
WAtoday understands West Coast will offer a third-round draft pick for Ballantyne, which Fremantle is expected to accept, with the 2014 All-Australian to be given a two-year contract with prospects for a third depending on performances.
His appeal to West Coast continues to divide opinion, with the lively forward mustering just 41 goals from 35 outings in the past two seasons.
Cox will take over coaching the Eagles midfield after two seasons as ruck coach since the six-times All-Australian retired after a club-record 290 games.
As revealed earlier this month, Petrie is considering a controversial approach from West Coast management to help solve the club's ruck crisis after long-term injuries to superstar Nic Naitanui and his back-up Scott Lycett.
Petrie, 34 this month, is considering an offer that is understood to include ruck coaching duties through a final playing season as well as remaining at West Coast in support roles to head coach Adam Simpson, a former teammate of Petrie's in his playing days.
If he joins West Coast, Petrie has easy access to the west as a delisted, unrestricted free agent after he was stunningly sacked by North just weeks ahead of last month's inglorious finals exit, despite wanting to extend his 326-game carer by another season.
He is among a host of big man recruiting prospects for Simpson and his recruiting team.
Fremantle Dockers free agent Zac Clarke and dumped emerging big man Jack Hannath are understood to have also been considered as recruiting targets as the Eagles desperately search for ruck talent as Naitanui and Lycett convalesce.
Petrie's recruitment is understood to have been hotly debated among Eagles recruiting officials after an underwhelming end to his time at North.
The one-time powerhouse forward and back-up ruckman played all 23 North games last season for an average of 11 disposals an outing but only managed a total of 13 ruck hit outs and just 27 goals to take his career tally to 428. Â Â
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