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Port Adelaide's fleet-footed forwards and hostile fans hold no fears for the Western Bulldogs going into their AFL preliminary final.
Western Bulldogs defender Taylor Duryea reflects on the club's thrilling AFL semi-final triumph as a dress rehearsal for the preliminary final against Port Adelaide in more ways than one.
Firstly, the win over Brisbane in front of a heaving Gabba crowd last week gave the Bulldogs a taste of what they can expect to face from the notoriously raucous Power fans at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
And secondly, the Dogs defenders got a close-up look at a skilful band of small forwards - the likes of which Port Adelaide have in spades.
Duryea was lauded as a hero of the semi-final victory after putting the clamps on Lions star Charlie Cameron after quarter-time.
His effort to halve a contest with speedster Cameron and force the ball out of bounds in the final minute was vital in securing a famous victory.
Now the former Hawthorn premiership defender is eyeing a battle with Port Adelaide's fleet-footed forwards as he looks to help steer the Dogs into the season decider.
"It was a good dress rehearsal given Brisbane have a number of small forwards that are pretty dangerous and that's the same again this weekend," Duryea said.
"They've got (Zak) Butters, (Connor) Rozee, Robbie Gray ... I'm not sure if Orazio Fantasia plays, but just those guys alone, plus (Steven) Motlop and any of the resting mids.
"Our hands are going to be full again this weekend but that's what you'd expect playing against a top-quality side in a prelim final."
Without Duryea's intervention against Brisbane, Cameron could have added the match-winning goal to the three majors he kicked opposed to Easton Wood in the first term.
It would have ended the Bulldogs' season.
"It was not a position I wanted to find myself in, that's for sure," Duryea said of being the last man between Cameron and an open goal.
"He's just such an explosive player and his acceleration is probably the best in the competition for someone in that small forward position.
"I just told myself to keep my feet and make sure I was just there competing and trying to contest him getting that ground ball.
"The ball probably didn't bounce up for him and a few things went my way, but I'm very thankful that he didn't get his hands to it and run away into an open goal."
The South Australian state government will allow an increased capacity of 26,500 fans at Adelaide Oval this week - up from the 20,000 that witnessed Port Adelaide's qualifying final win over Geelong.
Despite the fact it will be heavily pro-Power in Adelaide, Duryea welcomed the presence of a crowd for the preliminary final after playing plenty of games behind closed doors this season.
"We've played in a lot strange environments and sometimes playing in a full stadium or a hostile environment can give you that energy and keep you on edge," Duryea said.
"That's just one of the beauties of a finals series where you go into enemy territory and try to get the job done."
