WEST Coast coach Andrew McQualter says his team will embrace a hostile derby environment on Friday night and look to build on the belief that has been generated over three straight weeks challenging top sides. 

The Eagles will confront a raucous Dockers home crowd at Optus Stadium in just the second ever Friday night Western Derby, with the ladder leaders attracting record crowds in 2026 and creating an intimidating environment for opposition clubs. 

McQualter said he had experienced the atmosphere at Dockers games several times this year and believed the Eagles would benefit from the experience, embracing that aspect of the match more so than the crosstown rivalry. 

"We had the opportunity earlier in the year to play against Collingwood with 100,000 people, and we expect the atmosphere to be similar tomorrow night with Freo's home crowd," McQualter said on Thursday. 

"I've been to quite a few of Freo's games this year, and they certainly get some crowd involvement, so we look forward to that and we'll embrace it. 

"We're really lucky in the sense that we've played teams very similar to Freo in the last three weeks. 

"We feel like we're getting opportunities to see what the best teams in the comp are doing, and the last two weeks we've been able to take some things away from the oppo. That'll be our aim again tomorrow night."

Fremantle has set a record so far for home attendances at Optus Stadium, averaging crowds of 50,462 and drawing a record non-derby crowd of 55,966 to its most recent home game, against Sydney in round 18. 

McQualter said continuing a recent trend of bringing excellent pressure early in games would be important for the Eagles. 

"Every time you have an opposition crowd against you, it plays a big part. Any time they get momentum, they get louder and it probably does make a little difference to the home team," the coach said.

"So our pressure plays a big part in that. The past few weeks, we've definitely been able to make the game difficult for opposition teams, but our pressure starts at zero tomorrow night when the game starts. 

"It doesn't roll over week to week, so we've got to ensure that we do the work and have the right formation and ground set up that we can pressure the ball carrier the right way." 

Asked specifically about the rivalry with Fremantle and whether there was a genuine disliking for the opposition, McQualter said he didn't want his players looking for that type of motivation. 

Finding more wins in the run home was the focus for his team after impressive but ultimately unsuccessful performances against Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs and most recently Brisbane. 

"I understand the big rivalry is there, but I hope we dislike every opposition the same as we dislike Freo," McQualter said. 

"That's honestly how I think of it. And maybe I'm still naive in what this is. I don't want our players to think of this game as any bigger than any other one. 

"It is a little bit because it's a WA state game. I respect it. But also, I want us to be at the same level every single time we step out on the grass. 

"We don't know if there's going to be spite in the contest. There might be. There might not be.

"We want to come away with this season with some wins. That's what we've spoken about to the playing group multiple times, and that didn't change this week."

Gun midfielder Harley Reid will be central to Friday night's clash after getting through training this week and proving his fitness following an ankle issue against the Lions. 

McQualter backed the young star to thrive under opposition attention and said the Eagles would have plans in place to support him if the Dockers chose to use a run-with player. 

"It's not my job to ensure he gets protected. I'm sure the umpires will protect him as they will," he said. 

"But he's a competitor. He'll be fine. He gets targeted every week, so he'll handle that. He'll dish it back and we'll ensure we have some mechanisms to support him as a coaching group and playing group as well. 

"I think the best players in the comp love the big games, and 'Harls', as well as some of the other players, can't wait for tomorrow night."

The Eagles will be without midfielder Jack Graham after choosing to manage him for one week with a minor hamstring issue, while co-captain Liam Baker (suspended) and forward Jack Hutchinson (hamstring) are unavailable. 

McQualter was tight-lipped on replacements but said the match committee would assess its needs in the ruck as well as key defensive stocks, with young tall Cooper Duff-Tytler set to play in the WAFL rather than earn a call-up.