Surgery to limit flag star's pre-season

STAR West Coast spearhead Josh Kennedy is facing another restricted pre-season program after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder since booting three crucial goals in the Grand Final.

It is understood the dual Coleman medallist won't resume contact work until late January, before building up to round one and the Eagles' start to their premiership defence.

The 31-year-old has had a rough trot on the injury front over the past 18 months, and missed half the 2018 home and away season due to several leg problems.

Ankle surgery last December kept him out until round four, while he was racing the clock to be fit for the qualifying final against Collingwood after suffering a second hairline fracture of his shin.

Kennedy then played with strapping on his shoulder in the preliminary final and Grand Final, before being sent for surgery.

Dual club champion Elliot Yeo has avoided an operation on the right knee he tweaked against Richmond in round nine, but defender Liam Duggan will have a slightly delayed start to pre-season after a knee clean-up and Brayden Ainsworth has had minor finger surgery.

Grand Final hero Jeremy McGovern (ribs) will be fine by the time the senior Eagles return to training in December for two weeks before the Christmas break.

West Coast's first-to-fourth-year players will be back to kick-off pre-season training in late November.

Back-up big man Fraser McInnes is expected to be retained as a rookie after West Coast passed on Western Bulldogs free agent Jordan Roughead, who then landed at Collingwood.

Next season would be the 25-year-old's eighth at West Coast after being taken as a priority selection in the 2011 national draft.

One of the great AFL survivors, McInnes managed three games this season – taking his career tally to 14 - when the Eagles' key position and ruck stocks were tested by injuries.

After failing to play senior football this season, out-of-contract midfielders Luke Partington and Malcolm Karpany's careers are in jeopardy.

Partington managed six senior games last year as a small forward, but couldn't crack another appearance in 2018 after goalsneaks Willie Rioli and Liam Ryan's sensational debut seasons.

A knee injury hampered speedster Karpany mid-year, and the 23-year-old didn't add to his seven appearances.

Yet-to-debut tall Matthew Allen, who shared East Perth's best and fairest with Partington and former Eagles midfielder Patrick McGinnity, is also uncontracted and his future is unclear.

The Eagles have three confirmed departures in Mark LeCras (retired), Eric Mackenzie (retired) and Scott Lycett (Port Adelaide) from their flag-winning squad, while rookie Ryan Burrows is understood to have left the club.

However, former Port Adelaide onballer Brendon Ah Chee will sign at least a one-year extension.

It is believed a multi-year deal will be confirmed for run-with midfielder Mark Hutchings after a career-best season culminated in a superb blanketing job on Steele Sidebottom in the Grand Final and his first top-10 finish in the John Worsfold Medal.