FORM GUIDE
West Coast seem to have kicked into gear after a relatively slow start to the season, which was largely due to the unavailability of key players through injury.

The Eagles were widely considered one of the favourites to claim the 2013 flag during the pre-season, but currently sit 10th on the ladder with just two wins from six matches. 

However, their resounding 70-point victory over the Western Bulldogs at Subiaco last Sunday signalled that they were getting back to their best, which sounded a warning across the rest of the competition.

The Lions also have a win/loss record of 2-4 after six games, but three heavy losses have them sitting at 14th on the ladder with a percentage of just 72.3%.

Fortunately, the Club’s form at the Gabba has been significantly better than when they’ve travelled interstate.

The Lions’ two home matches so far in 2013 have resulted in one win against Melbourne, and a narrow loss to Adelaide back in Round 2.

SELECTION TABLE
The Lions have opted for experience, bringing in veteran midfielder Simon Black for his first match of 2013, along with Andrew Raines and Jordan Lisle.

Black and Raines will help bolster the team’s struggling midfield, while Lisle gets his first chance in the senior side after booting bags of goals in NEAFL.

Aaron Cornelius, Marco Paparone and Billy Longer have all been omitted.

The Lions' three inclusions bring with them a combined 429 games of AFL experience, while the omissions have just 36 between them.

West Coast have also made three changes, with key midfielders Daniel Kerr (knee) and Chris Masten (illness) forced out of the side, while ruckman Callum Sinclair has been omitted.

The Eagles will regain the services of Matt Rosa, and have also included Brad Sheppard and first-gamer Mark Hutchings.  

KEY MATCH-UPS
West Coast forward Mark LeCras presents a unique match-up given his ability to play in the midfield and also hurt teams in front of goal.

Even though he stands at only 183cm, he can play as a roving small forward or even provide a marking target. This means his opponent will need to be able to match him both on the ground and in the air.

With versatile defender Joel Patfull likely to take one of the Eagles’ taller forwards, the task of minding LeCras might be shared between one or more of Elliot Yeo, Mitch Golby, Jed Adcock and Ash McGrath.

The ruck duel will also be a fascinating one, with Matthew Leuenberger set to go head-to-head against West Coast’s All-Australian ruck duo – Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui.

Billy Longer’s omission from the side means that Leuenberger’s ruck partner is likely to be returning forward Jordan Lisle, unless the Lions coaching staff spring a surprise on Saturday afternoon...  

PLAYERS TO WATCH
All eyes will be on superstar midfielder Simon Black, and how he performs after having such a limited pre-season preparation.

Lions Senior Coach Michael Voss has already said that he doesn’t expect Black to single-handedly turn the team’s fortunes around, but the Brownlow Medallist’s ball-winning ability is undeniable and he has a good history against the Eagles.

West Coast forward Josh Kennedy will prove a handful for the Lions defenders, having kicked 20 goals this season to sit outright third in the race for the 2013 Coleman Medal – behind North Melbourne’s Lindsay Thomas (22) and Collingwood’s Travis Cloke (22).

But Kennedy won’t be the only danger up forward, with Jack Darling also ranked equal 6th on the AFL goal-kicking list after booting six straight against the Bulldogs last Sunday.

MISSING IN ACTION
Given the Eagles’ tall forward line, Matt Maguire (leg) would have been a handy inclusion for the Lions this week, but still isn’t quite ready for a senior recall.

Fellow Lions big man – and former Eagle – Brent Staker also won’t be far away after completing his first full game with the Lions Reserves last weekend.

As for the Eagles, the loss of Chris Masten and Daniel Kerr compounds the fact that Beau Waters and Andrew Embley remain on the sidelines.

RECENT HISTORY
The Lions have had a positive record against the Eagles in recent years, having won five of their past seven matches.

The most recent meeting between the two sides at the Gabba was particularly memorable, after James Polkinghorne famously kicked a 60m torpedo in the final minutes to claim a two-point victory.  

However, West Coast turned the tables on their return meeting in Round 18 with a crushing 98-point win over the Lions at Subiaco.