Champion Data figures reveal the 10 West Coast Eagles who have improved their relative rating in 2025

Champion Data’s relative ratings figures have revealed young midfielder Clay Hall is the most improved West Coast player this season. That same measure — taking the relative rating of every player who appeared in at least one match in both 2024 and 2025 — shows 10 Eagles have improved on their output from last season. The relative ratings compare players to rivals from across the league that are both a similar age and play a similar role. West Coast young guns Hall, Ryan Maric, Tyler Brockman, Brady Hough, Reuben Ginbey and Harry Edwards have all improved on their rating from last season. But more experienced players, ruckman Matt Flynn, premiership defender Tom Cole, Liam Ryan and even co-captain Oscar Allen have improved this year. The numbers aren’t as pretty to read for some other big West Coast names, including co-captain Liam Duggan and second-year star Harley Reid. THE IMPROVERS Hall tops the list of Eagles improvers, with his relative rating rising from -42.9 per cent last year up to 1.2 per cent from his four matches so far this season. But he spent almost all of his time on a wing last season and his role has been more as an inside-midfielder this season, which means he is being rated against the competition’s midfielders, rather than wingers. The 20-year-old seven-gamer is far and away the biggest riser for the Eagles, with former mid-season draft No.1 pick Ryan Maric in second. Maric has moved from the mid-forward category to become a general defender after his shift to a distributor role at half-back, which includes taking 39.1 per cent of their kick-ins. He has had a 37 per cent jump from -39 per cent to 1.7 per cent in his new role. Brockman is the biggest Eagle climber who is still spending the bulk of his time in the same role as last season. The 23-year-old is still down as a general forward, but has improved to -4.7 per cent. The former Hawthorn player has been used as a pinch-hit midfielder in his second season at the club. Allen, who now looks likely to miss the rest of the season, has had a relative ratings rise of 10.5 per cent. That’s despite kicking 20 goals from 11 games last year, but just 12 goals from 12 games this season. The key forward averages 3.3 marks per game this season, down from 4.7 last year. THE FALLERS Tim Kelly, Liam Duggan and Harley Reid are the three names sitting towards the bottom of the list. But Jake Waterman — who won his maiden All-Australian blazer last year but is now out for the season injured — experienced the biggest drop of any player. Waterman was rated 19 per cent above the average player for his age and position last year, but that figure plummeted to -32.5 per cent. The 27-year-old played eight games this season, all of which were defeats, before he required shoulder surgery and was placed on the club’s inactive list. Waterman kicked four goals against Essendon and three each against Melbourne and Adelaide. But it wasn’t enough to improve on his 53-goal career season year. Kelly’s position has changed to sit in the mid-forward category after he transitioned to a half-forward role in recent weeks. His relative rating has decreased by 35.6 per cent. Reid’s rating has dropped 34.2 per cent. The No.1 pick was rated against 19-year-olds last season, but has now turned 20 and his role as a midfielder has remained the same. Jack Petruccelle, Jeremy McGovern, Bailey Williams, Noah Long, Jayden Hunt — who has moved from defence to the wing — and last year’s mid-season draft pick Jack Hutchinson are all also in the red this year. CHAMPION DATA’S RELATIVE RATINGS - WEST COAST IMPROVERS Clay Hall (wing, 20) +44.1% Ryan Maric (gen def, 21) +37.3 Tyler Brockman (gen fwd, 23) +25.1% Brady Hough (gen def, 22) +16.9% Matt Flynn (ruck, 28) +15.7% Reuben Ginbey (gen def, 21) +12.7% Oscar Allen (key fwd, 26) +10.5% Harry Edwards (key def, 25) +6.7% Tom Cole (gen def, 28) +6.0 Liam Ryan (gen fwd, 29) +2.2% FALLERS Jake Waterman (key fwd, 27) -51.6% Tim Kelly (mid-fwd, 31) -35.6% Harley Reid (mid, 20) -34.2% Jack Petruccelle (gen fwd) -28.8% Jeremy McGovern (key def, 33) -25.1% Bailey Williams (ruck, 25) -24.4% Noah Long (gen fwd, 21) -23% Jayden Hunt (wing, 30) -19.7% Jack Hutchinson (wing, 24) -14.5% Liam Duggan (gen def, 29) -14% Jack Williams (key fwd, 22) -11.3% Jamie Cripps (gen fwd, 33) -8.5% Tyrell Dewar (wing, 21) -8.2%