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Priddis calls on Eagles to lift

Star West Coast midfielder Matt Priddis gets a handball away despite Dylan Shiel’s best efforts. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Brownlow medallist Matt Priddis says it is time for West Coast to stand up against a quality team as they confront one of the toughest assignments in the AFL.

The fifth-placed Eagles travel to Adelaide Oval to challenge a resurgent Port Adelaide on Sunday.

The Power boast an enviable 76 per cent winning record at the venue and are building momentum coming off wins over North Melbourne, Hawthorn and Adelaide.

West Coast have not beaten a team that made finals in the same year since thrashing North Melbourne by 96 points in a 2012 elimination final at Subiaco.

The drought, combined with big wins over the past two seasons against lower-ranked teams such as Greater Western Sydney and Melbourne, has earned the club the unwanted tag of flat-track bullies.

Priddis said taking a big scalp like Port Adelaide was the team’s next challenge.

“It’ll be finals-like and that’s going to be a great experience for our side,” he said. “We want to challenge ourselves against the best.

“Port Adelaide have shown they were a kick away from a grand final last year.

“There’s no better time for us to stand up and really compete well against this side.

“We need to win as many games as we can to play finals footy. That means you’re going to have to beat some real quality sides.

“We probably haven’t been able to do that in the past. That’s the next step for our playing group.”

West Coast will need every bit of their longer eight-day break heading into the clash, with Josh Kennedy (elbow), Will Schofield (ankle), Mark LeCras (leg tightness) and Luke Shuey (ankle) all recovering from minor injury concerns.

The quartet played through the complaints in Saturday night’s 87-point win over GWS at Domain Stadium.

Kennedy did not appear on the training track yesterday, while Schofield, LeCras and Shuey were on light duties.

Nic Naitanui and Elliot Yeo were unsighted.

Kennedy had scans yesterday and there was speculation that he would require surgery.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of that,” coach Adam Simpson said on 6PR.

“I haven’t got the full results of the scans that we’ve done today, but I’m sure someone would have called me this afternoon if he needs surgery.

“He’s an important part of our team and sometimes we probably rely on him too much to get the job done. Fingers crossed he’s OK, I don’t really know the full extent of what the scans have produced.

“I think he’s meeting a few people tomorrow and fingers crossed that there’s no surgery required.”