West Coast have expressed an interest in towering SANFL ruckman Caleb May ahead of the mid-season draft, as they look to bolster their ruck stocks. The 208cm West Adelaide big man confirmed he has had discussions with the Eagles after playing in Saturday's State game at Sullivan Logistics Stadium.
The Eagles are set to take two picks into the mid-season draft to cover for injured pair Deven Robertson (knee) and Jacob Newton (foot), who have been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Matt Flynn, who was elevated to the Eagles' leadership group over the summer, held down the ruck position for the first four games before being dropped in favour of Bailey Williams.
May, a former Sydney Swans Academy member, moved to South Australia ahead of the 2025 season after missing out on the draft in 2023. He has been in fine form for the Bloods, averaging 37 hit-outs, 12.2 disposals and four clearances per game in the first six SANFL games, making him a leading contender for the May 26 draft.
"We'll just see what happens," May told The West Australian. "I'm just trying to hold myself to a good standard of football and find consistency at senior level. I know it (the mid-season draft) is lurking, but for me, I'm just trying to have fun and enjoy playing with my best mates at West Adelaide. The rest will take care of itself."
The 21-year-old said he was excited by the prospect of sharing a midfield with rising Eagles superstar Harley Reid. "Harls is a fantastic talent, he was in my draft year. If I get the opportunity, that'd be unbelievable, but we'll just see what happens."
During the State game, May engaged in an enthralling individual battle with Jones, a former Fremantle player who has become one of the WAFL's premier ruckmen. May relished the challenge: "I was really keen to go up against him and have a crack. It was a good opportunity for me to have an older player like that. I was just focused on my job today, tapping it to the mids. Unfortunately, I probably couldn't get it to the spots I wanted, but I felt like we had a crack at the back end."
The Eagles have also been linked to West Perth midfielder Kane Bevan, son of Eagles legend Zac Mainwaring, his Claremont teammate Jasper Peace, and former South Fremantle defender Tom Bell.
