You wouldn’t have known it after another typically assured display down back, but Brad Sheppard has revealed his nerves were jangling before playing in front of fans in the RAC Derby victory.

After five games in Queensland at empty venues or in front of small crowds, the atmosphere was electric on Sunday as more than 25,000 fans returned to Optus Stadium.

“You took it for granted when you were playing there every week in the past," Sheppard told TAB Radio.

"To be able to play in front of 30,000 people and just seeing the sheer size of the stadium, it was something that I noticed straight away.

“Definitely with that brings the nerves and anxiousness that comes with playing at the top level of footy.

“It was a different mental build-up to this game definitely as opposed to the last month of footy.

“Optus Stadium seems to amplify the noise so it makes it a lot louder than a traditional 30,000 crowd.

“I can’t wait for hopefully the restrictions can ease again and we can get 50 or 60,000 in there because that’s going to be something else.”

Sheppard was denied his normal RAC Derby tussle with Fremantle forward Michael Walters, who spent most of his time midfield, but still had a significant impact on the Eagles’ 10^th-straight win over their crosstown rivals.

Continuing the stellar form which has him as a leading contender for the John Worsfold Medal, the 29-year-old racked up 23 touches in a defensive group which held the Dockers to just five goals.

Sheppard praised the impact of young backs Tom Cole and Jackson Nelson since returning to the side recently, with the emerging duo providing plenty of spark and enthusiasm.

Nelson’s 23 disposals was a career-best, while Cole’s goal-saving tackle on Matt Taberner helped turn the contest in West Coast’s favour after Freo’s fast start.

“They’ve been great the way they’ve come in,” Sheppard said.

“We all know their talent, Coley’s a premiership player, Jackson Nelson has been in and out of the side for a couple of years now.

“The thing that is pleasing is the work they are doing throughout the week, they’re training hard, they’re doing all the extras, they’re doing all the little things right and giving themselves the best chance to perform on the weekend and we’ve seen that the last couple of weeks.

“I think they’ve been exceptional. They bring real energy into the playing group.”

The Eagles are set to regain skipper Luke Shuey for a showdown with League powerhouse Collingwood on Sunday, when Sheppard, Nelson and Cole are likely to match up on Pies speedsters Jamie Elliott, Jaidyn Stephenson and Will Hoskin-Elliott with danger man Jordan De Goey (finger) missing coming off a match-winning five-goal haul against Geelong.

Sheppard revealed he had been looking forward to a battle with one of the AFL’s best forwards and detailing the meticulous preparation for the De Goey duel that has helped make him an All Australian candidate.

“(De Goey) was in good form, wasn’t he? My first thoughts watching that game was how he was getting his goals and what I’d do and I ended up post-game rewinding and watching his highlights of the game,” Sheppard said.

“I knew on the weekend Walters was going to be playing more midfield so I didn’t really have a real match-up for the weekend.

“So I went into the club prepping I had in the back of my mind a potential match-up with him the week after, because I rate him as one of the most dangerous forwards in the competition.

“I’d already started my prep work for the week out just to see what his leading patterns were and what he does to create space and how he kicks his goals.

“Obviously I was still focusing on the game against Fremantle, but once I got the news he was out it was a bit of a sigh of relief but in saying that I was really looking forward to the opportunity playing against the best and to test yourself against the best.

“That’s why I play AFL footy and that’s what really motivates me, playing against the best.”