Thirteen is an unlucky number for some.

And East Fremantle, who are riding a horror streak of 13 straight derby losses, will be doing everything this week to ensure their fortune turns around against arch-rival South Fremantle on Saturday.

The ladder-leading Sharks haven’t beaten the Dogs since 2016 and missed a golden opportunity to snatch a drought-breaking win when the two sides met last month, with veteran Cam Eardley spraying a set shot in the dying minutes.

While it was a heartbreaking loss for East Fremantle at the time, midfielder Blaine Boekhorst says it hasn’t haunted the Sharks.

“It’s one of those things in football that happens,” Boekhorst told The West Australian. “Sometimes you’re on the good end, sometimes the bad end and for us (last time) it was the bad one.

‘I don’t think it’s been brought up since the week it happened.

“No doubt there will be some whispers from outside the club about that and what could have been if we kicked that last goal but hopefully, we can turn the tables this week.”

Asked if the clash would hold extra weight given the streak or if the focus would be more on getting the four points, Boekhorst admitted it’ll be “a bit of both”.

“We do know the streak’s there but we’ve just got to go out and do what we’re good at, defend well, and we can break that streak. The process will get us there.”

The clash looms as a critical one, with East Fremantle sitting a game clear of the third-placed Dogs.

The Sharks notched up another percentage-boosting win over West Coast on Saturday, defeating the Eagles by 62 points at Mineral Resources Park.

“It’s always nice to win by a fair margin, especially at the pointy end of the season,” Boekhorst said.

“Getting towards finals, it’s pretty close, the top five. So every little bit helps.”

Boekhorst, who stepped up with 33 disposals after the side lost key midfielders Milan Murdock and Kyle Baskerville to illness, said it was a testament to the Sharks’ improved depth that the unit performed well in their absences.

“That’s something we’ve struggled with over the last three years but we’ve recruited well, we’ve got more experienced players now coming through the midfield, so our mix is quite deep through there,” he said.

“We can fill holes now when we’ve got injuries or illness, so it’s going great for us.”

East Fremantle could be without Jeremy Goddard after the ruckman was reported for striking West Coast’s Greg Clark, with the Eagles midfielder forced off the ground with a broken nose after an incident in the third quarter.