HEAD TO HEAD: West Coast 19 wins, Adelaide 16 wins, no draws
LAST TIME: Adelaide 10.7 (67) lost to West Coast 15.16 (106), round 12, 2011 at AAMI Stadium
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FORM: West Coast: WWWWW Adelaide: WWLWL
SUMMARY
West Coast capped its remarkable resurgence this year by securing fourth spot on the ladder with a gritty eight-point win over the Brisbane Lions in round 23.
The Eagles will open their finals campaign against Collingwood at the MCG regardless of the result against Adelaide on Saturday night, but there is a sense at West Coast that much can still be gained from the round 24 fixture.
Coach John Worsfold has ruled out resting players en masse, challenging his group to prepare for the dead rubber as intensely as they have for every match in this brilliant season.
The Eagles don't want to flirt with their form, having won six straight matches - and 11 of their last 12 - and competition for spots is fierce, despite Daniel Kerr (back) and Will Schofield (jaw) missing this week.
Adelaide has won three of its five games under caretaker coach Mark Bickley, but they came against the competition's bottom three teams - Port Adelaide (32 points), Brisbane Lions (five) and Gold Coast (61).
An 11-point loss to Geelong in round 21 earned the 14th-placed Crows some respect, but that hard work was undone against the Tigers last Sunday, conceding 10 of the game's last 14 goals to lose by 22 points at home.
QUESTION MARKS
Which Eagles can grab their opportunity on the eve of the finals? Midfielder Chris Masten appeared on the outer but he demanded attention with a superb performance against the Lions. Patrick McGinnity, Ashton Hams, Brad Ebert and Ash Smith are jockeying for spots, with Jack Darling, Sam Butler and Daniel Kerr preparing to return this week or next.
Can Bickley, who has drifted in calculations for the senior job, enhance his prospects with a strong showing to end the year? Results over the last few weeks may not even figure in the club's final decision, but an unlikely win for the former Crows captain wouldn't hurt.
PREDICTION
West Coast by 30 points
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Coaches were quick to jump on Masten (Mid, $182,100) following his brilliant score of 140 against the Lions. He was one of the most popular inclusions early this week, but coaches should be wary of selecting the 22-year-old who has been a regular substitute, scoring 11, 33 and 30 in recent weeks. The risk could be justified for teams that need a cheap fill-in, with Masten looking to secure a spot in the Eagles' finals line-up.
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The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
