SUMMARY 
Not many experts predicted these teams to be top-four bound, but West Coast and Collingwood have overcome significant adversity to be only one win away from hosting a preliminary final. The resilient Eagles are playing a brand of football that stacks up at home or on the road, expect to regain spearhead Josh Kennedy (shin) and should be close to full-strength, apart from Nic Naitanui (knee) and Andrew Gaff (suspension). The Pies defied a crippling injury list to clinch third spot, earning Nathan Buckley plenty of plaudits. Reinforcements could be on the way if Adam Treloar (hamstring) and Jeremy Howe (thigh) are fit but the Pies will rely heavily on unheralded types and an improved defensive system to pull off their first interstate finals win since 2008. 

WHERE AND WHEN: Optus Stadium, Saturday, September 8, 6.10pm AWST
TV AND RADIO:  Click here for broadcast guide

WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR?

Round 17: Collingwood 9.13 (67) def. by West Coast 15.12 (102) at the MCG 

It was a bittersweet victory for the Eagles, who stamped their credentials as a genuine flag contender with a commanding 35-point victory at the home of football. West Coast broke a 23-year drought against the Magpies at the 'G but it came at a massive cost, with star ruckman Nic Naitanui going down with his second ruptured ACL. 

LAST FIVE TIMES 
R17, 2018, West Coast 15.12 (102) d Collingwood 9.13 (67) at the MCG
R18, 2017, Collingwood 13.15 (93) d West Coast 13.7 (85) at Etihad Stadium
R19, 2016, Collingwood 13.13 (91) d West Coast 11.6 (72) at the MCG
R6, 2016, West Coast 18.16 (124) d Collingwood 9.8 (62) at Subiaco Oval
R16, 2015, West Coast 11.21 (87) d Collingwood 7.14 (56) at Etihad Stadium

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

West Coast

1. The Eagles will have to try something around stoppages to negate Brodie Grundy's enormous ruck influence. Willie Rioli flies under the radar as a centre clearance specialist and the electric small forward could be thrown into the middle more often.

2. Josh Kennedy's brilliance overshadows his footy nous and leadership but his return will help organise West Coast's forward line to create space and isolate Collingwood's defenders one-out.

3. Mark Hutchings has locked away a spot in the best 22 as a run-with midfielder who can still find the footy. He went to Steele Sidebottom last time, held him to an equal season-low 18 touches and will probably go to the Pies gun again.

Collingwood

1. Levi Greenwood is often sent to tag the opposition's most dangerous midfielder and could be gearing up for a shutdown job on West Coast star Luke Shuey.

2. The Pies would be studying how nimble forwards have troubled West Coast's intercept marking machine Jeremy McGovern recently. Look for Collingwood's attempts to drag him out of position and catch McGovern on the break with speed.

3. Collingwood's undermanned backline struggled to contain West Coast's power forwards Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling last time, so expect high-flying Jeremy Howe to return and come across to support Jack Madgen and Tom Langdon in the air at every opportunity.

THE SIX POINTS

1. West Coast's damaging forwards were the difference in round 17 with Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling, Willie Rioli (three each) and Mark LeCras (two) kicking 11 goals between them. The Eagles booted seven goals to three in the second half.

2. The Magpies have won four of the six finals between the sides, with the Eagles' only triumph a two-point nailbiter at the WACA in 1994. They drew a qualifying final in 1990. The most recent meeting was a 2012 semi-final the Pies won by 13 points.

3. West Coast won nine of 12 matches at Optus Stadium and averaged 101 points per game. Collingwood has won four of five interstate games this season, including in Perth over Fremantle in round 23.

4. The Eagles have more finals experience with a combined 169 games to the Magpies' 116. Lewis Jetta tops the Eagles experience with 15 games, while Pies skipper Scott Pendlebury and Travis Varcoe have appeared in 17 finals each. 

5. Collingwood was the No.1 disposal side in 2018 and fourth for inside 50s (54.9 per game). The efficient Eagles were 16th for possessions and equal seventh in inside 50s (53.4).

6. Star Pies ruckman Brodie Grundy climbed one spot to fifth overall in the Schick AFL Player Ratings after dominating Fremantle in the final round with 24 possessions and looms as the danger man for West Coast. 

WHAT THE COACHES SAY
Adam Simpson: "We've been top two or three for 17 weeks. Going into the season, there was a bit of the unknown with a different looking side but the reality is we've been thereabouts for almost all of the season. There's no reason why we can't continue that."

Nathan Buckley: "We think our best footy stacks up and we are not afraid of anyone we're going to play. We have attacked and been aggressive and chased our best form, improved football, the opposition - all season. So we're not going to stop now."

IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR …
Scott Lycett. The Eagles' No.2 big man was thrust into the main ruck role for a half against Brodie Grundy after Nic Naitanui went down last time the teams met and more than held his own. But Lycett's form has been down in recent weeks against Max Gawn and Stefan Martin, and West Coast needs him to lift in finals.

PREDICTION: West Coast by 11 points