Pugnacious midfielder Sam Lamont and dynamic forward Nic Reid might have considered their quest to play senior football in the WAFL to be a thing of the past, but over the summer the dream was reignited.

Lamont, a two-time North Beach A-Grade fairest and best winner, and Reid, the leading goalkicker in the past three years, saw that window open once again when the West Coast Eagles were granted a licence to field a team in the WAFL competition.

The Eagles do not have enough players on their list to support two teams, so went in search of players outside the WAFL system – amateurs and country leagues – and both Reid and Lamont were natural targets.

Both impressed during the pre-season with the Eagles, training mainly with 14 or 15 other WAFL recruits, but also integrating into full AFL training sessions when invited and able to fit it in with work commitments.

Reid, a physical education teacher at Carine, and Lamont, an electrician with AE Hoskins and Sons (now guided by former North Beach premiership star Michael Hoskins) played in a practice match that saw them competing with the likes of Dom Sheed, Elliot Yeo and Shannon Hurn.

Unfortunately, Reid suffered a couple of injury setbacks during the pre-season period and will miss the next seven or eight weeks after damaging a tendon in his left hand. He had earlier hurt his foot on a surfing excursion with students to the coast.

Lamont is in the mix for a round one debut against Perth at Mineral Resources Park. If they are not required at WAFL level, both will be released (when fit) to continue their careers at North Beach.

Two of the cult heroes at the club – Reid for his freakish goal-kicking skills and Lamont for his fearless attack on the ball – pursue their drive to play at the highest possible level with the full support of the club.

Reid, who plays both midfield and forward, was runner-up Fairest and Best in the WAAFL A-Grade competition last season, despite missing five games with a rib injury.

Both Reid and Lamont, who is a product of Albany club Royals, made their first attempt at senior football with Claremont.

This season the amateur competition has adopted the name of the Perth Football League and West Coast also recruited players from other clubs like Kingsley, University and Scarborough.

Other North Beach players giving the WAFL another crack are ough utility player Nathan Dwyer (East Perth), developing ruckman Josh Chapman (Subiaco) and clever midfielder/forward Darby McCarthy (Perth).