WEST Coast premiership utility Adam Hunter will play his 150th match in Friday night's clash with Carlton.

Hunter has missed three games with a recurring shoulder injury and assistant coach Scott Burns said the 27-year-old was one of the most admired and respected players at the club.

"Hunts always looked like that bloke you go to when you needed that lift or a goal or some courageous act in the defensive part of the ground," Burns said from Junction Oval on Thursday afternoon.

"He's one of those players that a lot of coaches and teammates would like to have in their team because he is very coachable, hard at it and just a competitor. He doesn't want to be beaten.

"Coming from Melbourne to Perth, I can definitely see how much he is respected by the coaching staff and his teammates."

Hunter is joined in the side by another member of 2006's triumph, Tyson Stenglein, as well as Jamie McNamara and Mark LeCras.

Highly-rated youngster Tom Swift will make his debut after his selection at No. 20 in November's NAB AFL Draft.

Important midfielder Matt Priddis (groin) will miss, while Sam Butler, Adam Cockie, Brett Jones and Mark Seaby have been dropped.

The Eagles enter this game as underdogs and are preparing for another encounter with premiership captain Chris Judd, now in his second season with the Blues.

However, Burns said there was no danger of his side being absorbed by its plans for the Brownlow Medallist.

Burns added the match-up was old news and that Judd hadn't been really mentioned to him away from team meetings.

"I think it was a big one last year at Subiaco when they came up against each other but that was 12 months ago now," Burns said.

"Obviously you want to nullify him but if there was a best-and-fairest at the minute I’m not sure who’d be winning: Judd or (Bryce) Gibbs, the way Gibbs has gone about it.

"Marc Murphy as well has been playing terrific football.

"As good as Judd is, it’s really hard to just concentrate on him because they’ve got so many others who can bob up and play good football. He is one that the boys know pretty well, they know his strengths and weaknesses probably better than anyone so hopefully we can nullify and negate him a little bit."