'He hasn't looked happy': James Hird's sad admission as Oscar Allen angles for split from West Coast

Essendon legend James Hird says West Coast co-captain Oscar Allen "hasn't looked happy" and believes a trade with Brisbane would be "good for both parties".

It appears Allen and West Coast are headed for a split after the key forward informed the Eagles in his exit meeting that he intended to join Brisbane in the October trade period, as reported by Nine's Tom Morris on Sunday.

The club officially confirmed the news and made its stance clear.

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"As Oscar is a restricted free agent, we retain the right to match any offer made to him by another club and Oscar understands that," list boss Matt Clarke said in a statement.

"We will work through the next steps in this process as they unfold, assess our options and make a considered decision."

It's likely West Coast will come to the party given a band-one compensation pick is expected to be granted, which would give the Eagles pick two in the draft, taking place from November 19-20.

The Eagles already have pick one, having finished last in a diabolical season that netted just one win.

"The interesting thing with Oscar Allen is just the way this relationship between player and club has fallen away over the past few months," Morris said on Nine's Footy Furnace on Sunday night.

"Wasn't that pretty obvious after that Sam Mitchell [meeting]?" Hird replied, referring to the meeting Allen had with the Hawthorn coach early in the season, which became public.

"It just felt like the way West Coast handled that where they rolled him out the front and made him apologise — [I was thinking], 'Ooh, that's not going to go down well'."

Hird was recalling West Coast's decision to force Allen to front the press to apologise for meeting with Mitchell.

Asked if he wanted to remain at West Coast for the long term in that press conference, Allen said: "Yeah, I do."

Morris said it irked both Allen and his teammates that he was made to front the press.

"They thought it was awkward, they thought it was pretty poor management," Morris said.

"And by the same token, the club didn't like the way Oscar Allen did his radio interview last Friday in which he said the contract talks had reached a stalemate."

In an interview with Perth radio station Mix 94.5, Allen admitted negotiations had "kind of broken down to a certain extent".

"I'm not going to say it's a bitter split; that's too far. But the parties certainly don't leave on the best terms," Morris said.

Hird added: "He just hasn't looked like he's wanted to play footy ... He hasn't looked happy, and it's probably good for both parties [that Allen is angling for a trade]."

Should he depart, Allen would become the second serving Eagles captain to leave the club, following Chris Judd's defection to Carlton in 2007.

In his eight years at the Eagles, Allen has played 20 or more games in a season only three times.

The 26-year-old played only 12 games for 12 goals this season, having struggled with calf, Achilles and knee injuries.

He's played 105 games since landing at West Coast via pick 21 in the 2017 draft.

He co-captains West Coast alongside defender Liam Duggan.