West Coast premiership defender Adam Hunter has five weeks to salvage his AFL career as more doubts emerge about the state of his debilitating shoulder injury.

Hunter, out of contract at season's end, has undergone several rounds of surgery this year in a bid to ease the pain and increase the range of movement in his troublesome right shoulder.

But the procedures have failed to fix the problem, with the 28-year-old managing just eight senior games this season, the last in round 11.

Meanwhile, 28-year-old midfielder Andrew Embley has signed a new two-year deal with the club.

"I am very keen to be a part of the club's rise back up the premiership table and look forward to helping a lot of the young players on our list enjoy the success we achieved only a couple of years ago," Embley said.

"I very much want to be a part of the future and believe it can turn around very quickly given the talent at the club."

Worsfold said the 28-year-old, who won the Norm Smith medal in 2006, would play a key part in the club's on-field revival.

Hunter is expected to return to WAFL ranks either this week or next but Eagles coach John Worsfold seemed more hopeful than optimistic the 151-game veteran would be able to play on next year.

"He's a straight shooter Adam," Worsfold said on Tuesday.

"He'll know clearly in his own head whether he can contribute to our team or not next year.

"It's going to be a matter of him weighing up with the advice he gets from the surgeons and doctors that he's spoken to about what that means for his long-term life, how much damage it's doing to his shoulder.

"I think he can have surgery to help some of the pain but it's more an issue that's a bit like when players end their careers with no cartilage left in their knee.

"They can play and they have touch-up surgery every year but they play in pain and they're wrecking their knees as they go.

"It sounds as though his shoulder's heading that way."

Worsfold said the Eagles would only give Hunter a contract extension if the club was convinced the 190cm key position player could last the distance.

"We are not going to employ him just to play WAFL footy," Worsfold said.

"If he can't get his hand above his head fully, if he can't play at 100 per cent it's going to be hard for him to be a good AFL player.

"We know how talented he is.

"If he was fit at the end of the year and ready to play next year, we would want him in our side.

"He has to work out where his shoulder's at and what he can do and what he can't do and see how it travels over the remainder of this year.

"WAFL footy will well and truly test him.

"They hit just as hard, they're just as strong as the AFL guys.

"If he can cope with that, that would be enough for us."

Meanwhile, West Coast rookie Callum Wilson is a chance to make his AFL debut against Essendon at Subiaco Oval on Sunday as Worsfold attempts to fix the Eagles' goal-kicking woes.

Worsfold said the club was likely to place youngster Luke Shuey (fractured leg) on the long-term injury list in order to elevate Wilson onto the senior list.

Wilson, 21, has been in hot form for WAFL side South Fremantle, regularly booting big bags of goals this season, including 5.6 against Subiaco on Friday night.

The 191cm key position player would bolster an Eagles forward line that managed just 8.18 in the five-point western derby loss to Fremantle.

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