Fresh off a career-best season, emerging talent Bailey Williams of the West Coast Eagles is set to carry his positive momentum into 2024.

Having played in every game of the previous season and surpassing his statistics across various aspects, Williams has solidified his position as one of the most promising young rucks in the league.

Initially serving as a backup ruck behind Nic Naitanui in the Eagles’ lineup, Williams has successfully paved his own way and emerged as one of the team’s most consistently impressive performers in 2023.

Earning the sixth spot in the John Worsfold Medal count for the previous season, Williams expressed satisfaction with his individual performance, stating, “Personally, I was pretty happy; I was able to string some decent footy together. I shouldered a lot of the ruck load for most of the year. Obviously, from a team point of view, it was a little bit disappointing, our season and the number of games won, but personally, I was pretty happy with my game.”

As he anticipates the 2024 season, Williams expresses contentment with the progress of his pre-season preparations.

“It’s been really good so far, it’s actually been quite exciting,” remarked Williams. “We’ve got a lot of fresh faces around the club, players, staff, and coaches. The training standards have been really good, and I’m really excited for the season, it’s been great.”

Given the recruitment of former GWS ruckman Matt Flynn, Williams envisions potentially adopting more of a forward-ruck style role in the upcoming season. He expresses enthusiasm for this new challenge and looks forward to embracing it.