West Coast coach John Worsfold admits he's not sure whether Daniel Kerr's fragile knees will be able to hold up to the rigours of a full AFL season next year.
Kerr managed just 10 games this season, with the 30-year-old never reaching full flight due to ongoing issues with both knees.
The 220-game veteran underwent surgery during the pre-season, and was forced to go under the knife again earlier this month for another clean-up procedure.
Kerr is desperate to see out the final year of his contract, and the Eagles are also keen for him to play on.
But Worsfold admits Kerr's "fragile" knees are a bit of an unknown quantity.
"It doesn't take much for it to get these issues again," Worsfold said ahead of Saturday night's AFL clash with Adelaide at Patersons Stadium.
"A pre-season where he's running and not falling on his knees a lot - he's probably going to cope with that.
"It's when he gets into the real hard stuff - can his knees hold up?
"You would hope so. I'm not sure.
"I'm no expert on looking inside his knee and saying, as soon as he lands on it again, he's going to chip something else off.
"At this stage, we would say his knees are good. They've been fixed and we're moving forward.
"I know he can give us a good season if he overcomes his problems."
Amazingly, Adelaide and West Coast remain a slim chance of making the finals despite enduring forgettable years.
Both clubs would need a myriad of other results to fall their way, but Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson is imploring his charges to make the most of the opportunity.
The match will mark Andrew Embley's 250th and final AFL game after the Eagles veteran announced his retirement earlier in the week.
Fellow premiership midfielder Adam Selwood has also been granted a farewell game as West Coast attempt to notch just their fourth win at home this season.
Not much has gone right for the Eagles in 2013, but Embley was confident they could bounce back into premiership mode next year.
"Whilst we've had a bit of a hiccup this year, I believe in this group and I believe in what they're striving to become," Embley said.
"I think it's only a matter of time before they become that successful group we've all been working towards."
