West Coast said goodbye to a genuine great of the club this week, premiership player Jamie Cripps.

The champion forward was selfless, he had an elite work-rate to get up the ground and lose his player plus he had great goal-sense.

He hangs up the boots after 319 goals, which leaves him sixth for the Eagles all-time, behind club legends Phil Matera, Mark LeCras, Peter Sumich, Jack Darling and Josh Kennedy.

He was instrumental in the Eagles’ 2018 flag triumph.

It got me thinking about West Coast’s small forward troop that day. Cripps, Willie Rioli, Liam Ryan and LeCras.

That’s exactly what the Eagles need to try and build again now. It sounds like one of those things that is easier said than done, but when you delve a bit deeper, West Coast brought Cripps back home to Western Australia in a trade for a pick swap in the 40s. Peanuts in the scheme of things.

Ryan was taken with pick 26 in the 2017 draft, but it took a full season of playing league footy for Subiaco — including winning the Bernie Naylor Medal for leading goal-kicker in the comp — before he got picked up. Every club in the country had two cracks at selecting him before the Eagles did it.

Rioli was also a mature-aged prospect out of the SANFL and was a late pick at 52. LeCras was the veteran of the group, playing his final game that day, but even he wasn’t a high draft pick in his day.

I’ve always thought you need four good small forward options to be successful. Have a look at the good sides at the moment.

Fremantle have Shai Bolton, Murphy Reid, Isaiah Dudley, Michael Frederick and Sam Switkowski. Hawthorn have Jack Ginnivan, Dylan Moore, Nick Watson and Connor Macdonald. For Brisbane’ it’s Cam Rayner, Zac Bailey, Charlie Cameron and Kai Lohmann who are all two-time premiership players.

You need the right combination of classy goal-kicking forwards, pressure forwards and those who can work higher up the ground to create space for the key forwards. The best small forwards command attention from the opposition so their defenders don’t drop off and make it harder for the key forwards.

Right now, West Coast don’t have enough of these types of players.

Milan Murdock has had a red-hot crack this season and has played 13 games since debuting in round one. He was a state league midfielder they’ve turned into a forward and he works because he works his backside off to put pressure on the ball and then works just as hard to be an option offensively.

He’s going at less than a goal-a-game, with 11 and the next best genuine small forward in their goal-kicking list is Malakai Champion with four.

They’ve tried Tom Cole down there in recent weeks and he has showed a bit, but he’s 29 and unfortunately, he is not going to be the long-term answer. Harvey Johnson has come and gone, likewise Tom Gross and Champion.

On Friday night, six of the Eagles’ 11 goals came from key forwards Jake Waterman and Jobe Shanahan. Jack Williams kicked one while playing in the ruck, backman Brandon Starcevich kicked one, as did midfielder Willem Duursma and winger Bo Allan.

Cole was the only medium or small forward to hit the board. Duursma has spent more time as a forward in recent weeks but it was clear once again they need his attributes in the midfield.

The player I think they need to give a long run at that role is Elijah Hewett. His career at the Eagles is at a crossroads. He’s a former first-round pick and there’s been a long-term deal in front of him, but he’s still unsigned and there’s interest from over east.

Right now, he is well down the pecking order for a go in their midfield, but he has the attributes to make a good fist of it as a forward and they desperately need someone down there right now.

He has the class and he laid eight tackles in the first-half alone in the WAFL win over East Fremantle on Friday night, so the intent and desire is there.

They also need to look at doing their due diligence on Bobby Hill, with his Collingwood future up in the air.

While he is contracted there until 2030, it appears as if his time at the Magpies is done and the Eagles should back themselves to build an environment around him that will help him thrive.

Once again, it is going to be an important off season for the eagles, and they must explore all options to find at least two more classy small forwards. If they can find another Cripps, Rioli or Ryan then the eagles can start to dream again.