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AFL world rallies around Elliot Yeo after devastating family development for West Coast star

It comes just a week after the Eagles player re-signed with the club for another three years.

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·3-min read

AFL fans are sending well-wishes to Elliot Yeo after the West Coast Eagles star was rocked by the death of his father this week. The Eagles released a statement on Tuesday evening confirming the sad news about Craig Yeo.

"The West Coast Eagles send their heartfelt condolences to Elliot Yeo and his family following the passing of his father, Craig, on Monday night," the club said. "The club will provide support to Elliot during this difficult time and requests that his family’s privacy is respected."

Elliot Yeo with his father and siblings.
Elliot Yeo has been rocked by the death of father Craig (second from left). Image: Getty/Instagram

According to reports, Craig Yeo was battling illness before he died. The Yeo family run the Broken Hill Hotel in Victoria Park in Perth, and Craig received a posthumous award at the Australian Hotels Associations awards at Crown Towers on Monday night.

Elliot's brother Corey accepted the award on his father’s behalf, which recognised his contribution to the hospitality industry. The devastating news comes after Elliot and fiancee Tess Goodbody announced last month they're expecting their first child.

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It also comes after Elliot re-signed with the Eagles last week on a new three-year deal. It means he'll be staying at West Coast for the rest of his AFL career after resisting the lure of free agency.

Yeo was due to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and had been heavily courted by a number of rival clubs. North Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide were all reportedly among the clubs trying to lure the veteran midfielder, but he decided to stay put.

West Coast were only offering Yeo a two-year deal in the initial stages of negotiations - given his run of injuries in recent seasons. But the 30-year-old has been more durable this year, and West Coast eventually upped their offer to sign the 2018 premiership star until 2027.

"It's only fitting," Yeo said of playing his entire career at the Eagles. "I feel like I'm part of the walls here now and to be able to finish an Eagle, it's a wonderful feeling. I'm looking forward to helping the younger generation coming through now and starting to build towards something that I can leave for them as well."

Elliot Yeo and Harley Reid.
Elliot Yeo and Harley Reid in action for the West Coast Eagles. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Yeo has formed a strong partnership with Harley Reid in the midfield, which has been a big reason behind West Coast's improved performances this season. After being restricted to just 37 games from 2020-2023 due to osteitis pubis and soft tissue injuries, the 30-year-old has made it through 11 games already this year.

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He had a minor groin injury that kept him out of action for two weeks, but has managed to stay on the field much more than previous years. He travelled to Qatar for a specialist medical review in the off-season, which led to a new plan being implemented around his training, game preparation and management.

He is averaging 23.1 disposals this season, recording career highs for contested possessions (13.4) and clearances (7.6). He is also averaging career-best numbers for ground-ball gets, score involvements, score launches and goal assists.

with AAP