Brendon Ah Chee says having a defined game-day role is the main reason he is on the cusp of setting a new personal best for AFL appearances in a single season.

The athletic Ah Chee equalled his highest tally of senior outings in a calendar year upon playing his 11^th game against Greater Western Sydney on Sunday.

He twice achieved that number with Port Adelaide in 2015 and 2016, but the 26-year-old is set to break the 11-game mark following a strong performance against the Giants that he capped off with two important goals.

Ah Chee said it was somewhat pleasing to leave his ‘utility’ days behind and have a clear role following several seasons of being thrown up forward, in the middle and even down back when required.

“I think (my consistency) has come from clarity, just having a clear role and keeping it super simple,” Ah Chee said today.

“In the past I’ve been a fringe midfielder who has sort of worked my way into the team on form, but you sort of come in from playing midfield in the WAFL and play half forward in the AFL, so you don’t get that clarity or continuity in a position.

“At the end of last year I had some good chats with Simmo (senior coach Adam Simpson) just about where the opportunities lie for me to get into the AFL team and it was that half-forward role, which I have been playing all year.

“Just having that single-minded focus of ‘this is what I have to do for the team every week’ and if I do that then I get to play, it’s made it a lot easier for me instead of having to play midfield in the WAFL and having to come in and pinch hit in the midfield when I could.

“It definitely makes it a lot easier just having that clarity and I think it’s gone a long way (to improving my game) this season.”

Ah Chee is poised to achieve his new personal mark in one of the biggest games of year, a tongue-wagging clash with reigning premiers Richmond at Metricon Stadium.

In spite of splitting the 2017, 2018 and 2019 premierships, West Coast and Richmond have only met on three occasions during that stretch, with the Tigers holding a 2-1 advantage in those clashes.

Ah Chee said the Eagles could not wait to lock horns with the competition heavyweights on Thursday night.

“They are definitely the best team of the last two or three years and we’re getting them off a four-day break, so the challenge couldn’t be higher,” Ah Chee said.

“It’s going to be a great test of where we are at. I think every game this season has been pretty hard and they seem to get harder and harder, but that’s what we love.

“If we can challenge ourselves against the best that’s going to put us in good stead for the rest of year, so we’re super excited.”

It came as no surprise to Ah Chee when he was queried about how West Coast might approach its second hub stint after the club exited Queensland with a 3-2 record earlier this year.

Ah Chee reckoned the group was in a better space to handle whatever challenges the upcoming hub stay might throw their way, but not for the reasons you might expect.

He felt recent adjustments to the Eagles’ game plan would have a greater bearing on the success of the club’s second road trip than anything hub related.

“(We were) waiting for the game to open up (earlier in the year), which you can’t really do with shortened quarters because before you know it and you get control of the game the quarter is almost done,” Ah Chee said.

“For us it was more about trying to have an attacking mindset and taking the game on as much as possible. It took us a while to get that going from playing our old way, but we’ve adjusted to a new style that suits us really well and it’s obviously been successful so far.

“I reckon (this time around) we’ll just get into a groove and I reckon it’ll be pretty enjoyable to be honest. You won’t have to worry too much about training and flogging yourself on the track. It will be all about getting yourself nice and recovered and getting ready to play another game.

“I think it’s good and we’re all pretty excited to get over there and just get into it.”