West Coast senior coach Adam Simpson says the team is looking forward to playing in Darwin this weekend, having refreshed after the first half of the season with a bye break.
Saturday’s clash against Melbourne will be the Eagles’ first ever qualifying match held at TIO Stadium, but Simpson has had some experience with the ground from his playing days.
“I was fortunate to play up there as a player for a couple of games for the Kangas and it's just a completely different type of game,” Simpson told 6PR.
“It's so wet and slippery and humid and I think we all wore wristbands and headbands and gloves and the like, so it does present a different challenge as well.”
Despite the unusual conditions, West Coast will stick to its usual travelling schedule, arriving in Darwin two days before the game.
Simpson said it was impossible to reproduce the Northern Territory’s humidity in Perth, but he did have one tactic up his sleeve to prepare the players for Saturday.
“I think we throw a couple of footies in the esky, get the baby oil out and try and get the ball slipping around a little bit,” Simpson said with a laugh.
“It was a beautiful day here today and trying to replicate the humidity is impossible, so we'll just have to confront it when we get up there.
“We'll train on Friday, we'll fly up on Thursday and look I'm pretty sure Melbourne will do the same, so I think we'll be pretty level pegging in terms of adapting to the conditions.”
Listen to Simpson's full interview below.
