Kerr a certainty for Eagles: Burns
West Coast have declared Daniel Kerr a certain starter against Port Adelaide on Sunday despite reports the star AFL midfielder is battling hamstring soreness.
Eagles assistant coach Scott Burns confirmed Kerr had a scan last week but said the 25-year-old, who only trained lightly during the week, was fully fit and raring to go.
"No worries, he'll be good," Burns said on Friday.
"It's interesting to see the hamstring back (in reports), I don't know where that came from but he's fine.
"He had scans last week but he's fine.
"I thought he was moving really well up at the Gabba (against Brisbane).
"We're looking forward to him taking the game on Sunday."
Serial pest Kane Cornes is expected to get the tagging job on Kerr after restricting the prolific ball-winner to just 13 touches in the Power's 24-point win over West Coast in Perth last year.
But Burns, who believed Cornes' method of wrapping his hands around an opponent at the stoppages was an illegal tactic, called on the umpires to ensure Kerr was give a fair run at the ball.
"We think that when you are getting tagged, like he will week in, week out, that he needs a bit of protection from his teammates and he needs probably a fair bit more from the umpires as well at times," Burns said.
"He gets smashed week in, week out off the ball which is what we are trying to clamp down on but he never seems to get too many free kicks.
"I think even with blokes starting behind him and holding him back at times, if we can make the umpiring department aware of that it will give Kerry a bit of an advantage.
"I think if you are in a marking contest as a forward and the defender wraps his arms around you it's a free kick, so I don't think that changes when you're in the midfield.
"Kerry's a class player and we can put him in any position we want really knowing that he's probably going to get followed, which can open up other avenues."
The Eagles made four changes to the side that lost to Brisbane last week, recalling Adam Hunter, Brett Jones, Adam Selwood and Ben McKinley at the expense of Sam Butler, Matt Spangher, Brent Staker and Mark Seaby.
The Power made just the one change to last week's winning side, including key defender Toby Thurstans for his 100th game in place of suspended ruckman Dean Brogan.
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