It's not just the pitch that causes issues though. It's a combination of a hard wicket, the searing heat, the persistent flies and the breeze that sweeps through the ground that makes conditions at the WACA so unique in world cricket and so hostile for batsmen.
Indeed, it's a combination of these factors that's proved so alien to England over the last 43 years they have won just a single Test at the venue, way back in 1978 when Australia were fielding a virtual second XI.
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But weird things happen at the WACA. If it's not Terry Alderman doing his shoulder crash-tackling a drunken Pom, it's Javed Miandad threatening Dennis Lillee with a bat or Adam Gilchrist blitzing some hapless bowling. And, for England to get back into the Ashes series, they need another weird thing to happen. They have to win in Perth.
As far as last stands go, they could have chosen a more hospitable venue. But if England's win at Lord's earlier in the year has shown, winning runs at venues can always come to an end.
Down 2-0 in this Ashes series after being thrashed in the first two Tests, England need to win in Perth to give themselves a real chance of retaining the Ashes, as a drawn series is still good enough for the Poms to keep hold of the little urn.
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But to turn around the losing run, England management need to throw caution to the wind and mix things up. It's a folly to keep on doing the same things and expect a different result, so a few canny team changes could possibly give some under-performers the kick up the arse they deserve in order to show some the passion that appears to have been lacking over the first two Ashes Tests.
In Perth, England have the perfect opportunity to field four pace bowlers and give Australia a dose of their own medicine.
Three years ago, when Australia were thrashed in Adelaide by England, selectors opted to play four fast bowlers in Perth in the form of Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle. If England opt to do something similar, then they may give themselves their best chance at winning in Perth in a generation.
At that time back in 2010, Johnson was coming off a nightmare in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane. But he responded by taking six wickets in the first innings on his way to 9-82 for the match. Ryan Harris wasn't far behind as he claimed match figures of 9-106 as he ripped through England in the second innings.
It was Australia's only win that series, but it's a game England may take some heart from, particularly if they can bear to look at Johnson's first innings, where he produced a famous Ashes spell, claiming 4-7 from a searing 27 balls just before lunch on the second day.
Johnson's efforts were particularly notable as he wasn't bowling with the sea breeze from the Lillee-Marsh stand end, as he was when he took eight South Africam wickets in a Test two years earlier.
Instead, Ricky Ponting bowled him from the Prindiville Stand end in order to take advantage of the hot morning conditions when the easterly sweeps across the ground, bearing with it the furnace-like heat of the Nullarbor.
The easterly, though, is a more consistent breeze. As former Australian skipper Kim Hughes noted during the week on Melbourne radio station SEN, the sea breeze – more commonly known as the Fremantle Doctor – can make it tough to bowl, even down wind, as the breeze can buffet a bowler and knock them off balance.
The easterly not only gives the bowler a little extra pace, but helps with extra swing – something Johnson took full advantage of when he faced England three years ago.
Johnson's bowling that day was something to behold. All of a sudden his action clicked and the bowler who looked to be doing it tough in Brisbane was a lean, mean wicket-taking machine, almost seeming to hover in the air for a moment before his arm ratcheted around like a Game of Thrones-style trebuchet intent on delivering maximum destruction.
Yet, it's not beyond James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan to do something similar, particularly as the forecast weather conditions are meant to deliver some hot easterlies once again.
Anderson is a class swing bowler and if he's used in a similar manner to Johnson early in the morning from the Prindiville Stand end, then Australia's top order should look out.
Indeed, batsmen from both teams have right to be wary. Not one cricketer has ever scored a 1000 runs at the WACA, with Ricky Ponting going the closest, making 965 at the un-Ponting-like average of 38.
Swing bowling may be extra important in this match, though. Everyone's been talking about the pace of the wicket and the early photographs tweeted on Thursday were indicative of a green monster.
But the WACA deck may not be as fast as what's expected. Given the small venue and the fact they have had a tough year where a proposed $200 million redevelopment fell through, one imagines the WACA itself will be desperate for a five-day Test, simply to get as many punters through the gates as possible.
The Association also sacked former curator Cam Sutherland two months ago. Sutherland had just completed a five-year re-development of the WACA pitches in order to get them back to the rock-hard decks of yesteryear. But whether or not new curator Matt Page follows his lead and does something similar remains to be seen.
So if the deck doesn't quite have the pace it's expected to, swing bowling becomes more important and for that England require pacemen, possibly four of them.
It's a risk for sure. But it's a last stand and risks need to be taken and Perth may just be the right venue at the right time for England.