The Power takes on the Eagles at Rushton Park in Mandurah W.A. from 6.40pm (SA time) on Saturday.
It’s named a 29-man squad including the six who have not played a game for premiership points: Brendon Ah Chee, Nathan Blee, Ben Newton, Jarrad Redden, Chad Wingard and Aaron Young.
For Blee and Newton - both Western Australians - it will be their first game in Power colours, having missed last week’s NAB Cup opening round games against Carlton and Adelaide.
Coach Matthew Primus said it was an opportunity for young players to experience an away game.
“We’ve got a few guys who have been on our list for at least one or two years who’ll get to experience playing against West Coast, but saying that we’ll bring over some experienced guys too in Kane Cornes, Steven Salopek and those kind of guys,” Primus told Perth radio station 6PR.
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Also named in the travelling party are mature age recruits John McCarthy and Darren Pfeiffer, while Tom Logan and Nick Salter will make their first appearance in 2012 having missed last Sunday’s action.
A contingent of senior Power players - including captain Dom Cassisi, Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, Danyle Pearce, David Rodan, Jay Schulz and Jacob Surjan - will not make the trip west, allowing them to prepare for the final two rounds of the NAB Cup when selectors will begin finalising their team for the season opener.
Brad Ebert will miss the game against his former team, the Power’s first against West Coast since trading the 21-year-old from the Eagles at the end of the 2011 season.
“He’s had an outstanding pre-season for us, hasn’t missed a beat,” Primus said.
“He played both games (on Sunday). He’ll play a lot of footy for us so it’s a matter of hopefully the next two games after this week are at home and we’ll start really getting him prepared for Round 1 then.
“We’ll give him a weekend off and get him right for Fremantle next week back in Adelaide.”
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Primus said he’s looking forward to how his younger team will take on the 2011 preliminary finalists, who beat Fremantle and Essendon in the opening week of the NAB Cup.
“I’ve got no doubt, especially the way West Coast came out against Essendon and Fremantle, it’s going to be a great test for us to see where we are against one of the better teams in the competition from last year,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to getting over there. It was good to get through unscathed last week, but we’re looking forward to stepping it up this week.
“With them having the week off when we were playing, we’re expecting them to play a pretty good team. We’re looking forward to the challenge of the group we’re bringing over.”
Wingard will be looking to continue his impressive form since being selected with pick six in the AFL National Draft.
“He’ll play a fair whack and I think it’s going to be good for him to experience an away trip with the group.”
Promising forward John Butcher will be looking to build game fitness after minor interruptions during the Summer.
“He hasn’t had the ideal pre-season, but having said that he’ll be prepared by the time it comes around to Round 1,” Primus said.
“He’s real competitive in the air which I think everyone sees. But the thing that excites me is when the ball does hit the ground, John attacks it like he’s a small and really puts pressure on defenders who are trying to run the ball out and I think that’s a great skill and a great asset that he has.”
The Power returns to South Australia for Round 3 of the NAB Cup, taking on Fremantle at Victor Harbor’s Encounter Bay Oval from 3.40pm on Saturday 10 March.
Tickets for that game are available from ticketmaster.com.au, with supporters under the age of 15 admitted free if their tickets are obtained on-line by 5pm on Friday 9 March.
The club website will have a live blog as well as a radio feed of the match on Saturday night from 6.30pm (SA time). You can set an email reminder here.
3 - Steven Salopek
5 - Matthew Broadbent
8 - Hamish Hartlett
11 - Mitchell Banner
12 - Jackson Trengove
13 - Cameron O'Shea
14 - Paul Stewart
16 - Ben Jacobs
18 - Kane Cornes
19 - Nick Salter
20 - Chad Wingard
22 - Simon Phillips
24 - Nathan Blee
26 - Andrew Moore
27 - Alipate Carllile
29 - Jasper Pittard
30 - Troy Chaplin
31 - Darren Pfeiffer
32 - John Butcher
34 - Jarrad Redden
35 - John McCarthy
38 - Ben Newton
39 - Justin Westhoff
40 - Aaron Young
41 - Brendon Ah Chee
42 - Thomas Jonas
43 - Daniel Stewart
44 - Tom Logan
47 - Jarrad Irons
