AFL: Former Eaton Boomers forward Isiah Winder out with COVID as West Coast Eagles’ caseload grows

Bunbury’s Isiah Winder has been caught up in West Coast Eagles’ COVID crisis, as the club scrambles to field a side after a dozen fresh cases emerged on Friday. The forward is one of 12 Eagles set to miss Sunday’s clash with North Melbourne, to be replaced by a number of WAFL players from their COVID contingency list. The Eagles confirmed Winder, as well as Josh Kennedy, Tom Barrass, Jack Redden and Zac Langdon, had entered the league’s health and safety protocols when their initial team was released on Thursday. Simpson confirmed the additional positive cases at his press conference on Friday, but wouldn’t reveal which players would be absent. It brings former Fremantle Docker and Donnybrook product Tobe Watson into the frame for a West Coast debut, but he was not listed among the players to travel with the team. Winder was the unused medical substitute when the Eagles lost to the Gold Coast on Sunday night. The former Eaton Boomer made his debut for the club as the sub last year, coming off the bench inside the first quarter and kicking his maiden goal with his first disposal against St Kilda. A knee injury sidelined him for the middle part of the year, before he returned to feature for the club’s WAFL side in the final rounds. Harvey product Brady Hough, who made his debut for the club against the Suns, has not been confirmed as one of the players to be struck down with the virus.