Fremantle stalwart Peter Bell imparts wisdom on how West Coast can rebuild

West Coast should consider spending beyond the club's salary soft-cap — and pay the associated tax — to fast-track its rebuild, according to former Fremantle captain Peter Bell.

The Eagles are on the cusp of becoming the worst performing team over a four-season period in the history of the V/AFL.

If West Coast loses to Adelaide on Sunday afternoon, it will be the club's 78th defeat in the past four years, eclipsing the 77 losses suffered by North Melbourne between 2021 and 2024.

If they fail to win another game this season, West Coast will also become the club with the most losses in a single season, with the caveat of longer seasons now than in decades past.

Peter Bell served as the Dockers general manager of football for four years, and played 163 games for the club. (Supplied)

'Whopping bank balance'

The soft-cap rules mean AFL clubs can spend $7.67 million on their men’s program in 2025, with that amount increasing by $750,000 in 2026, and a further $350,000 in 2027.

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If club’s spend more than that limit, they are hit with a tax, which varies depending on how far over the limit they are.

"They're one of the clubs that actually could (pay the tax) no problems at all," Bell, who won two premierships with North Melbourne, said on ABC Perth's Sports Talk program.

"They've got a whopping bank balance that is just sitting there, so should they on a short-term basis, say 'we're going to try and improve our number of development coaches to players ratio, and we're going to go over the soft cap. We're going to write out the cheque'.

"Because that's going to, if they choose the coaches right, that has to expedite the development process."

Look further afield

Bell said the club should also commit to filling its entire list of players, including Category B players, for a decade, in the hope it finds some decent performers from outside the AFL pathway.

"Go to Ireland if there's not enough (talent) within your own academy," he said.

"It's a numbers game. You might waste 10 picks, but one of them might be a good player."

Mark Keane is one of 12 Irish-born AFL players competing in the 2025 season. (AAP Image/Matt Turner)

Several AFL clubs have had success recruiting from Ireland, with former Geelong star Zach Tuohy a recent example.

There are currently 12 Irish players in the AFL, including Adelaide's Mark Keane and Brisbane's Connor McKenna.

More brutal list management

Bell said West Coast need to be ruthless when assessing whether players on the list have a future at the club, to create space for recruitment.

"Even if they're contracted, you've got total player payments [salary cap] space and you're a wealthy club," he said.

"If a player's got a two year contract, but you've made up your mind after one they're not part of our long-term plans, not going to play 100 games, pay them out, move them on, get another pick."

Jayden Hunt has played 58 games for the Eagles since joining from Melbourne, but hasn't got a contract for 2026. (AAP/Richard Wainwright)

West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has flagged he wants to bring in experienced players to fill the mid-20 age bracket, an area the club is struggling in.

Bell said the Eagles should do that through drafting and not trading.

"You need your high-end draft picks to go to the draft. Nail your picks, get them right, and develop them," he said.

"If you want to bring some experience in, have a look at players you can bring in as delisted free-agents, free-agents, or at worst maybe a pick slide with one of your own picks.

"Players will move for opportunity, but some of the teams up the top may need to shed some total player payment.

"So can we attract a player that's not getting an opportunity, that's a big contract, which West Coast can afford, can we get that player and can we get another draft pick?"

Who should they bring over?

Examples of players the Eagles could target include Deven Robertson and Brandon Starcevich at Brisbane, Adelaide's Luke Peddler, or Elijah Tsatas from Essendon.

Deven Robertson has been linked with a return to Western Australia after managing just 46 games in almost six seasons at Brisbane. (AAP Image/Matt Turner)

"It does come down to how much you have to pay to prise non-Western Australians to come here," he said.

"Players will move if they see the opportunity at a club."

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