West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett has warned Melbourne clubs that Chris Judd won't come cheap after the star midfielder announced his intentions to return home to Melbourne.
Coach John Worsfold will meet with his match committee and recruiting staff on Monday evening to discuss whether the club will demand draft picks, established players or a mix of both in a trade for Judd.
Judd, who is expected to command more than $1 million a season over a lengthy deal, and his manager Paul Connors will hold meetings with prospective clubs over the next week. Judd will then tell West Coast his preferred destination.
"He's worth a lot. He's our captain. He's been one of the best players, if not the best, in the competition," Nisbett said.
"I think the clubs that Chris will talk to over the next few weeks will understand that. All clubs understand the value of the great players in the competition and we'll expect the right value."
West Coast has an excellent record of developing its draft picks instead of trading for established players and Worsfold hinted he would prefer to continue that trend.
"I don't think you can go wrong bringing in talented young players through high draft picks, or any draft picks," he said.
"You put work into players, you can develop them. But times change at clubs and you go through different eras as well, so that has to be taken into account."
"We'll have a look at where we believe we sit and what we need to be a very strong contender again next year. But also we are aiming for sustained success."
Carlton has emerged as the early front-runner to secure Judd's signature. The Blues have picks No.1, 3 and 20 in the national draft plus room in their salary cap to accommodate a highly-paid player.
Collingwood, Essendon, Melbourne and Hawthorn have also been linked to Judd.
Meanwhile, Judd will consult a surgeon on Thursday to determine what surgery to undertake on his injured groin. The 24-year-old said he expected to undergo a four-month rehabilitation program after any surgery.
Worsfold said he was disappointed to see Judd leave the Eagles but praised him for his six years of service at the club.
"He helped the club come from a low position on the ladder to win a premiership, and captain the club to the premiership," he said.
"All the individual accolades he's won on the way are extremely well deserved. They haven't come just through talent, they've come through talent plus effort and work rate."
"He was a very big part of the club's on-field success over the last five or six years and this year in particular playing a leadership role in our off-field core values and getting them on track and setting a great standard for the players."