PORT ADELAIDE will face a red-hot West Coast in Perth on Saturday afternoon, with the Eagles looking to record a sixth consecutive win. 

The Eagles have history on their side, having won four of the last five contests since 2015 between the two sides. 

Among them was the last-up heartbreaking after the siren extra-time elimination final win at Adelaide Oval by just two points, which ended Port Adelaide’s 2017 season. 

Only one of the last seven clashes between the sides has finished with a margin in excess of 14 points, and four of the last five have been decided by 10 points or less. 

The Power has a good record against West Coast, winning 18 of the 31 previous clashes. 

The Eagles have only scored more than 100 points once in the last eight meetings between the sides, while Port hasn’t scored more than 100 against them since Round 16, 2009. 

The Power does like playing in Perth, having won three of its last four games in the west, although this game will be its first at the new Optus Stadium 

It will be West Coast Coach Adam Simpson’s 100th game in charge, and it’s likely to break the all-time attendance record between the sides of 41,172, set during the 2017 Elimination Final. 

The teams

Port Adelaide has made two changes to its line-up for the match with star forward Chad Wingard missing with a hamstring injury and defender Tom Clurey omitted to make way for running backman Jasper Pittard. 

Ruckman Paddy Ryder has been named to return from an Achilles injury which has sidelined him since the opening round. 

Clurey and former Melbourne skipper Jack Trengove have travelled to Perth as emergencies. 

The Eagles have also made two changes, recalling hard-nosed midfielder Mark Hutchings and young defender Jackson Nelson. 

The pair replaces rebounding defender Lewis Jetta, who missed out with a calf strain, and midfielder Dom Sheed, who is being managed through a foot injury.

Ken Hinkley

“We’ve got a good record travelling and we like the fact that we get together and go over there to get another big win.

“Sides are going to get on a four or five-win run and if you do that you’re going to set your season up, that’s our challenge to get on that run.

“No side has been able to do it yet, bar Richmond and probably West Coast, so the rest of us are just trying to catch up.

"We understand the hardness of the deck is an issue, not just for us, but every team, particularly for the Western Australian teams that are playing there every week.

"If we get there tomorrow and we feel that there's any issue at all with Paddy (Ryder), we won't take that risk because of the deck."

Adam Simpson

“I'm proud that I've got to 100 games. I've had a really good time at the club, I've learnt a lot, I've grown a lot as a coach and probably a person.

“It's pretty easy to get games up when you're a coach - you don't get dropped, you just get the arse."

“They’ve been pretty good, apart from a couple of poor weeks like almost every club, but they hit their straps again the weekend.

“They’ve got talent, they’re well coached and they’ve got good form over here so this is probably our biggest test for the season I would have thought.”

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