WEST Coast star Jeremy McGovern faces a fitness test on Friday before being cleared to play in Saturday's Grand Final against Collingwood.

The three-time All Australian backman has not trained this week as he nurses a hurt hip from last week's preliminary final against Melbourne.

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The club has been confident the key defender would line-up, but Simpson said it was important McGovern got through the club's final training run on Friday. 

"Today's a big day for him. There's a lot of testing we're doing with him today. It's something we've left to today to get through and we travelled yesterday," Simpson said on Friday.

"He's getting better every minute really, so we're anticipating him to play, we just need to tick a few boxes today."

Simpson said the club hadn't changed its mood around McGovern as the week has gone on, but that the vital member of West Coast's back half should be ready to meet the Magpies.

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"I don't know if I was extremely confident. I was extremely hopeful. Someone like 'Gov', he just gets up [to play] and it's just making sure it's up enough to play in a Grand Final," he said.

"I think he'll be close to 100 per cent if we gets to the line. And if he doesn't, he doesn't. But at the moment we think he's OK."

McGovern has been central to the Eagles' two recent wins over the Magpies, having 18 disposals and nine marks in the qualifying final and 22 disposals and 12 marks against Collingwood at the MCG in round 17.

But Simpson admitted there is a level of concern around McGovern's availability.

"He hasn't trained all week, but it's a corkie. So it's about settling everything down around it that we're working through. I won't say it's not an issue, but I'm OK with it," he said.

McGovern almost missed the Grand Final Parade, but quickly declared himself 100 per cent. 

"Yeah, I nearly didn't, but I got here, I’m here now," McGovern said.

"100 per cent ready to go, I'll train this arvo and should be good."

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said the Pies will be preparing for McGovern to play and be at full fitness.

The Eagles' path to the premiership decider has surprised many, particularly after they transitioned the list last season with the retirements of Sam Mitchell, Drew Petrie and club legend Matt Priddis.

Priddis was contracted for 2018, but pulled the pin on his Brownlow Medal-winning career, saying at the time he didn't believe he could play a "good enough" role for the team.

Simpson said Priddis' selflessness had been crucial in the development of the squad.

"To lose 'Pridda' was a big one. That's the one we felt might have hurt us in the long-term, not just because of the player, but the person, the leadership and his standards were so high," Simpson said.

"I think the opportunity Jack Redden and Elliot Yeo have had is due to the sacrifice Pridda made last year, so we leverage off that stuff."

Saturday will be West Coast's first Grand Final appearance since their horror showing in 2015, when they lost to Hawthorn by 46 points and were out of the contest by quarter-time.

A number of big-name Eagles struggled for impact against the Hawks that day, but captain Shannon Hurn said the disappointment from three years ago was not a strong motivating factor this week.

"It's not so much that it drives you but it's that you learn from past experiences. The best thing is that we've adapted and played well as a team, so that's what we'll be aiming to do tomorrow," Hurn said.

"It is hard to keep looking back on it. [Three] years have gone by and the list has changed. We have a real clear plan on the way we want to play."