Essendon are set for an important contest against West Coast at Optus Stadium this Saturday night.

As the Bombers gear up for their third interstate trip this season, read the key factors at play in the build-up to this weekend’s clash.

Recent history

West Coast gave the Bombers a big scare in their most recent matchup, pushing them all the way to the final seconds in round 21’s clash at Marvel Stadium last season.

Boosted by a five-goal haul from Kyle Langford, the Dons managed to withstand a late barrage from the Eagles at home, clinging onto a dramatic one-point win.

Since the Eagles moved to Optus Stadium in 2018, the Bombers have an even 3-3 split from their six encounters at the venue, including a 50-point win in round 11 last season.

This week’s fixture will prove to be a bigger challenge for the Dons, with West Coast winning their previous two games at home and enjoying an improved run of form over the last month.

Opportunity to reset

While last Thursday’s Anzac Day clash gave the Bombers a welcome dose of big-game experience in front of nearly 94,000 fans, it also provided the luxury of a nine-day break leading into round eight.

Following on from three consecutive Friday night fixtures leading into Anzac Day, a lengthy break will also benefit the preparation for Archie Perkins and Matt Guelfi, who both return to the senior line-up this week after injury layoffs from earlier in the season.

Midfield battle

Along with Perkins’ return to the midfield mix this week, the Bombers’ call to move Jake Stringer into the middle for Anzac Day’s second half gave another reminder of their ranging options at clearances.

With the side ranked fifth in the competition for total clearances and second for opposition clearances per game, the Dons are giving themselves every opportunity to score from the centre.

To go with his eight total clearances last week, Stringer accumulated six centre clearances from 21 centre bounce attendances and had 11 score involvements from 19 possessions.

The outlook of Essendon’s midfield has kept evolving throughout the season, with Sam Durham and Jye Caldwell shouldering the load alongside Zach Merrett and Darcy Parish in Perkins’ absence.

With West Coast midfielders Tim Kelly and Harley Reid in good form as a unit and Elliot Yeo back to his best, the Dons will again need to bring their A-game at stoppages.

Defenders on song

The efforts of Andrew McGrath and Nic Martin played a massive hand in securing two points for the Bombers last week.

McGrath paired a fine defensive performance on Bobby Hill with his own ability to run and carry, grabbing 31 disposals and continuing what’s been a stellar start to the year, while Martin’s ability to drift forward in the final quarter kept his side afloat.

The duo will be keen to keep up their solid block of form this week and could play a key role as the Bombers push for a fifth win of the season.