BRAD Sheppard is bracing for a fired-up Port Adelaide this Saturday, believing the Power would feel "robbed" by West Coast in recent clashes.

The clubs have forged a healthy rivalry in some epic contests, most notably the Eagles' controversial after-the-siren elimination final victory last season.

"You try to play every week on edge and treat every side the same but there is something there because of our games we've played in the past," tough Eagles backman Sheppard told AFL.com.au. 

"They would feel like they've been robbed a couple of times and we feel like we've stolen the game a couple of times."

West Coast has beaten Port in all four matches at Adelaide Oval since 2015, but only by 30 points combined.

The Power got one back at Subiaco Oval late last year, running away to a 32-point win after scores were level at three-quarter time.

The teams then played a scrappy but hard-fought JLT Community Series match in February, with the Eagles snatching a two-point victory courtesy of Lewis Jetta's 60m bomb in the dying seconds.

"It's always close against Port," Sheppard said.

"Obviously the elimination final last year and even the JLT this year it came down to the wire with 'Jetts' kicking that goal. You love playing those games.

"You like to have big rivalries, if it's not Fremantle last week, it's Port this week."

Sheppard, soldiering on despite copping a corked quad in the past four games, is looking forward to another potential battle with Robbie Gray at Optus Stadium.

The underrated Eagles defender shut down the Power star in round seven last year, keeping him goalless in a gritty road win.

Gray arguably took the points with three majors in the next clash at Subiaco Oval – including two directly opposed to Sheppard.

Their paths only crossed for 22 minutes in the elimination final, according to Champion Data, with Gray spending the majority of the game midfield.

"He's probably one of the best forwards I've come up against," Sheppard said.

"He's really good in the contest, body position, knows where the footy is going with his leading patterns. But I need to be confident in my own game.

"I know that if I worry too much about the oppo then you don't play your natural game. Then you get nervous, so you've just got to be in the moment."

While West Coast has exceeded almost all expectations in a 5-1 start, Sheppard acknowledged the next month could be season-defining.

After Port, the Eagles face GWS (Spotless), Richmond (Optus) and Hawthorn (Etihad).

"You do break it (the season) down into blocks and we understand the next three, four or five weeks will really set up our season," he said.

"It's a big month of footy for us. That's why we don't get carried away.

"It's great we're winning, but we're still hard on each other – probably harder now than what we were if we're losing – because you can't get complacent.

"We haven't achieved anything as a group yet. We're making sure we prepare well and bring it game day."