West Coast Eagles forward Liam Ryan misses training session with soreness ahead of Port Adelaide Power clash

There is a cloud over West Coast premiership star Liam Ryan ahead of the club’s clash with Port Adelaide on Sunday. Ryan missed the Eagles’ training session at Adelaide’s Henley High School on Saturday morning and remained at the team hotel to receive treatment. It comes after the club’s intriguing decision to bring a 25-man squad to South Australia for the match at Adelaide Oval, including small forward Noah Long. He trained fully on Saturday and is the likely inclusion if Ryan misses the clash with the Power. Long kicked three goals in last week’s WAFL victory over Subiaco to stake his claim on a spot. Ryan battled a hamstring problem during pre-season and missed the Eagles’ round one clash, but the only other game he has missed this season was the round four defeat to Greater Western Sydney through illness. Key forward Jack Williams, who was dropped from the side but is travelling as an emergency, also trained with the group. Backline pair Tom Cole and Rhett Bazzo have been recalled to Andrew McQualter’s side, alongside Matt Owies after his four-goal haul in the WAFL. Missing Ryan would be a significant blow for the Eagles, who are out to turn around a poor recent record at Adelaide Oval. The ground has been the club’s house of horrors in recent seasons. They have lost their past nine matches at the venue, by an average margin of 69 points. It includes a 66-point loss to Adelaide in round 12 and a 71-point capitulation against Carlton in Gather Round, the game that led to young gun Brady Hough breaking down in tears when speaking about the emotional toll of the Eagles’ mounting losses. West Coast haven’t played Port Adelaide since round two last year, a game they lost at Adelaide Oval by 50 points. “Yes, it has been a bit of a bogey oval for us. That’s all part of it,” coach Andrew McQualter said of Adelaide Oval. “We clearly didn’t play the way we wanted to last week, but we’ve had a great review. We can’t wait to get over there and compete.” The Eagles have also been out to address a run of poor starts. The heat has ramped up on their first quarters after they kicked on goal to Greater Western Sydney’s five early in last week’s defeat. “It hasn’t been every week, but there’s been some where we really haven’t come out of the blocks. So we’re looking into it. Sometimes it’s a tiny thing, so we’ll work our way through it, but we clearly want to start games well, particularly interstate,” McQualter said. The concern over Ryan also comes with veteran Tim Kelly at home in Perth. Kelly will play in the WAFL against West Perth on Saturday night after it was revealed he had asked to play reserves as a midfielder, rather than facing Port Adelaide as the substitute. Hough — who has transformed himself into a promising midfielder this season — played a very defensive role during stoppage drills at training on Saturday in a hint he could spend time opposed to Port star Zak Butters. West Coast had been slated to train at West Adelaide’s Hisense Stadium, but a week of rain in South Australia and heavy load on the ground meant they were shifted. It is not forecast to rain again until the hours before the Eagles’ clash with Port Adelaide, which should limit the impact of Saturday night’s rugby union clash between the British and Irish Lions and AUZ invitational team at Adelaide Oval.