For Eagles veteran David Wirrpanda, Saturday's bushfire appeal game between West Coast and Fremantle is more than just another AFL practice match.

Wirrpanda, who hails from Healesville in country Victoria, revealed on Thursday he was still unsure about the fate of some of his former school friends from neighbouring Kinglake, a town devastated by the Victorian bushfires that killed more than 200 people.

"It hits a lot harder for myself because, being a Healesville boy, Kinglake's just up the road," Wirrpanda said.

"I've got a lot of family and friends that I went to school with there that I still haven't heard back from, so it's a scary thought.

"That's the scariest thing at the moment.

"My sister for instance had to make a move out of the house with the family.

"It's just scary to think that we're sitting here and all of a sudden they're under the pump with all the fires.

"It's a weird situation because really, I can't do much but make sure that the loved ones are intact and OK.

"From my point of view you do want to jump on a plane and get back there and do what you can but it's nature, you can't really do a lot from this side of the fence.

"I just made sure that the family that I could get in contact with living in that area could get out of there as soon as possible.

"My sister got away pretty easily but a lot of her close friends still struggled to get out.

"That was just part and parcel with a lot of families in that area.

"A lot of credit should go to the firefighters that went out of their way to do the best they possibly could."

All proceeds raised from the Subiaco Oval match will be donated to sporting clubs in the affected areas.

"I played for Healesville ... back home in the Yarra Valley and we used to play Kinglake a lot, and they had a lot of issues with their ground back in the day, and they still do," Wirrpanda said.

"Hopefully they can benefit from this (as well as) all the other sporting organisations in that community."

West Coast midfielder Daniel Kerr, who was battling a virus earlier in the week, has been named for the clash but Dean Cox (rested), Adam Hunter (shoulder), Andrew Embley (knee), Brad Ebert (rested) and Tom Swift (rested) will all miss the match.

The Dockers named skipper Matthew Pavlich, Chris Tarrant and Aaron Sandilands but left out Paul Hasleby (rested), Luke McPharlin (rested), Garrick Ibbotson (shin), Dean Solomon (rested), Des Headland (calf/Achilles), Hayden Ballantyne (wrist) and Chris Mayne (foot).

Wirrpanda, entering his 14th season at the Eagles, said he was in the best shape of his career.

"It's really weird," the 29-year-old said.

"Usually I've had operations that have cost me my whole off-season.

"The chicken legs will keep going."

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