A COVID cluster is creating havoc at West Coast, with coach Adam Simpson confirming 12 players from last week’s game were now ruled out through the AFL’s health and safety protocols.

6PR Football commentator Shane McInnes told Perth LIVE, there’s no chance the game will be postponed.

“The AFL has said this all along – they will play matches at every cost and this is why they implemented the top-up players,” he told Oliver Peterson.

“It was always going to be the two West Australian teams – West Coast and Fremantle – hit hardest by covid this year, given that 80% of the playing group had already contracted covid.”

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Adam Simpson said on Friday WAFL top-up players would fill the void ahead of Sunday’s match against North Melbourne, with many of them donning an Eagles jumper for an AFL debut this weekend despite never training with the club.

“At the moment we’ve got 17 or 18 AFL players available. Sorry I can’t give you clarity, but I don’t have clarity at the moment.”

Adam Simpson

— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) March 25, 2022

Josh Kennedy, Tom Barrass, Jack Redden, Zac Langdon and Isiah Winder were ruled out on Thursday, and defender Josh Rotham was confirmed on Friday as COVID positive.

All players and staff were tested on Thursday as it became evident infection was sweeping through the club.

The team was due to fly out of Perth on Friday for the round two clash with North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Sunday but will now depart on Saturday as they assess who can and can’t make the road trip.

Fremantle has also not got escaped unscathed, with David Mundy and Brennan Cox in isolation and defender Joel Hamling absent from Friday’s training session at Cockburn.

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The @WestCoastEagles called in the testers today amid more COVID carnage with players and coaches tested.

5 players forced into isolation, club hopeful there’s no more in the coming days.

The latest on @9NewsPerth tonight. pic.twitter.com/D2CuMq6bqh

— Paddy Sweeney (@SweeneyPaddy9) March 24, 2022