West Coast defender Harry Edwards says he’s “very confident” he can play football again this season ahead of fronting the AFL’s concussion panel in Melbourne.

Edwards is set to meet with the AFL’s independent group of medical and neurological experts to determine if it is safe for him to continue playing after three concussions in a matter of months to start the 2026 season.

His first came in a pre-season clash with Port Adelaide before a second just weeks later in the Eagles’ home-opener.

He then returned in round nine against Melbourne, wearing a protective helmet, but had to leave the field early in the first quarter after friendly fire left him with a bloody cut between his eyes and another concussion.

The 25-year-old has been working through the League’s concussion protocols since, with no timeline on a return, leaving his 57-game career in limbo.

Earlier this month, Edwards was asked to appear before the concussion panel to get a clearer picture of his next steps, and the young key defender said he was hopeful they would allow him to return to the field.

“Hopefully, (the result will be) I can play again this year,” he told 10NEWS at Perth Airport.

“I’ve recovered well from the last few concussions, so I’m hoping to play again this year. We’ll put the last few weeks to bed and see how we go.

“I’m very confident. I’ve been training hard for the last few weeks, so if I get cleared, I’ll be able to play again this year.”

Edwards added that he hadn’t dwelled on the bad luck that has put his career in jeopardy, accepting it as part of the game and remaining hopeful he will pull on the blue and gold again.

“(Conussions) are part of the sport, and yeah, it happened to me three times this year, which is pretty unfortunate, but you can’t get caught up in that,” he said.

“You can’t be all negative about it, and it won’t worry me if I get back out there.”

Eagles premiership defender Jeremy McGovern hung up his boots last season after the concussion panel decided it would be best for the star’s health.

He was the last Eagle to go before the panel, while concussions also ended fellow defender Brad Sheppard’s career.

However, other players, such as Bomber Nik Cox, who sat down with the panel on the same day as McGovern, have been given management plans and a road back to the field.

West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has always been optimistic Edwards would be able to return to the team in 2026 to boost their undermanned defence, which is desperate for some size after Reuben Ginbey’s quad injury.

Last month, the Eagles’ high-performance manager, Phil Merriman, said everyone was doing the right thing to ensure the best outcome for Edwards’s health and AFL career.

“We will be following a process to make sure we get the best care that Harry needs before considering what the next step in his football is going to be,” he said.