West Coast Eagles ruckman Matt Flynn says form of Bailey and Jack Williams means a fight for his spot back

West Coast ruckman Matt Flynn has acknowledged the form of Eagles talls Jack Williams and Bailey Williams means he will have to fight for his spot back in the AFL side. And he has conceded he still has some work to do as he returns from an ankle injury, admitting he found the going tough at times in the Eagles’ 48-point defeat to Perth at Mineral Resources Park. The former Giants big man has had a rough first season out west on the playing front after seriously injuring his hamstring late in pre-season before hurting his ankle against Hawthorn last month. In his absence, Bailey Williams has continued to grind away and while he may not be winning ruck battles, he has been able to curtail the influence of several fellow talls. Young forward Jack Williams meanwhile, has continued his strong season as he combines nice performances inside 50 with some pinch-hitting in the ruck. Flynn acknowledged the pair had not done much to lose their spots in the first side and he had some work to do to win a place in the team. “J Will has had a great end of the year, he came back and played some WAFL footy but he’s had a great patch of form and he’s taken some massive strides in his game this year,” he said. “And then Baz just competes hard and throws his body on the line every game so I’ve got to come back here and get some match fitness in and hopefully play some good footy and put my hand up. “But it’s not just going to come for me, it’s going to take a lot of hard work to find that spot back. What they’ve been doing at the moment has been incredible.” Flynn also tipped his hat to former Geelong category-B rookie Blake Schlensog, who did not let him have his way in the ruck. Having also faced Claremont ruck Oliver Eastland, who has enjoyed a dominant season at the position, Flynn said it proved the WAFL had plenty of tall talent. “He (Schlensog) was really good. I didn’t show up in my best form today and he put it to me and walked away with the chocolates. It’s a massive credit to him, he’s a great player and he had an awesome day.” “Any level of professional football, you do play, you can expect the best out of everyone. The quality of not only the rucks but the football over here itself has been super high. “I’ve loved playing here, but if you don’t rock up, you get found out pretty easily. “It’s not only important for the AFL boys coming down, but for the boys pressing their case to play, it’s great to have a really high-quality competition to play in to sharpen your skills and improve the development. “Having a strong WAFL and a strong WAFL side is vital for the competition and for us as club.” Despite being critical of himself post-game, Flynn was still among the Eagles best in their loss, a match which only blew out late, with West Coast within single digits of the Demons mid-way through the third term. Flynn finished with 14 disposals, five clearances and 30 hit-outs.