But there are valid reasons the Bulldogs can be much better than they were when they travelled west to face Fremantle. And also why they can upset the apple cart against West Coast.

1. Weather:
It may not rain much through all of Thursday headed into the game but there will has been enough around in the two days previously - and a top of 18 will hardly constitute "drying weather" - that the best part of the Eagles' game plan have the potential to come unstuck. Can you expect Josh Kennedy to hang on to speared passes with a wet slippery ball? It's a dicey prospect at best and if the ball hits the deck, the more it will suit the fleet-of-foot and lower-to-the-ground Dogs.

2. Centre square set-up:
You can guarantee Luke Beveridge and company are going to get this right and that the addition of Tom Liberatore will help no end. The one thing the Dogs don't want is Luke Shuey running on to ruck taps at speed to deliver with precision to the forward line and you can rest assured stopping that will be top priority at centre-bounces and stoppages. Matt Priddis and Mark Hutchings getting the ball in the middle, the Bulldogs can live with - but not Shuey.

3. Make Matt Priddis kick:
You can't stop Priddis finding the footy - he's had less than 20 touches only twice all season. But you can impact how and what he does with the footy. The worst thing you can do is crowd Priddis and let him handball, because that's his most destructive weapon. Corraling him and making him try to beat you by foot is the best way of limiting his effectiveness. If he still finds a way to hurt you like that, then so be it...

4. A battery of bigs:
Will Minson goes out of the side which lost to the Dockers, meaning Jordan Roughead and Tom Boyd take on Scott Lycett and Jonathan Giles. With Lycett struggling with a knee and still potentially a doubtful starter, don't be surprised to see Tom Campbell called off the emergencies list too. Giles showed against Adelaide what he can do if he's allowed to do it. You wouldn't think the Dogs are going to give him that luxury.

5. Take Barrass and McGovern out of it:
The two Eagles key defenders showed against Adelaide two weeks ago how devastating they can be in the air when opposing teams bang it long and high to their forward targets. That's never been the Dogs' game and with shorter passing they can limit the intercept marks and easy spoils. If the Dogs can get the ball just outside the 50 and enter the footy low and hard from a 45-degree angle, the Eagles backmen will be out of their comfort zone.

6. Jake Stringer:
Quite simply, with his running ability, there is no big forward other than Buddy better suited to be playing at Domain Stadium than Stringer. And after his late-season omission, don't you think he'll have something to prove to his club...and the wider competition?

It's great to have footy back after the ridiculous pre-finals week off but the break at least gave rise to all manner of off-field happenings - not least Justin Leppitsch's exit at Brisbane and the attempted coup by a wannabe Richmond board.

My market has Adelaide's list manager David Noble right at the top of the list to take over as Brisbane's footy manager. There has been talk about Neil Balme but the mail I have is that Noble is the man.

Chris Fagan, who has done so much behind the scenes at Hawthorn is my bet to end up as Lions coach. He's long held ambitions to coach in his own right and deserves the opportunity.

The bigger questions revolve around Richmond, where the potential "saviours" rode in on their white horses this week with plenty of publicity and lofty promises but, from what I could tell, very little substance.

They appear to be confident that Balme is over the line to return to Tigerland. But they also ignore the fact that his alternative, to stay at Collingwood, involves a step sideways tht isn't necessarily unappealing. The fall-back option appears to be Steven Hocking but they would need a block of TNT to get him out of Geelong.

The most obvious issue - for both the current board and the aspiring one - remains Damien Hardwick. Both seem married to Hardwick finishing the remaining year of his contract. The rebel faction talked this week about wanting to change the way the team plays but keeping the coach. How does that possibly work?

The very simple option for Richmond is to swallow its pride, take a bite to the bank balance and send Hardwick on his way.

Be interesting to see whether either group that might run the club actually has the courage to do it.

Hero of the week: 
Forgot Moana Hope's six goals for the Bulldogs in the weekend's AFL women's game...that she can play so well is great but in the scheme of life it's just a small thing. The fact she's one of 10 kids and the full-time carer of a sister is the really noteworthy aspect of her story.

Goat of the week:
Which former AFL coach, when asked if he would be interested in coaching a side in the new women's competition, replied in the affirmative but then demanded $250,000 as part of the deal?

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm:
Imagine being an AFL legend, asked to help your former club out to find its new coach, and then asking for a finder's fee for the privilege. Surely you'd just do it for love?

Brad Hardie pens a weekly AFL column for WAtoday. You can also hear him on Radio 6PR Sports Today with Karl Langdon on weeknights from 6pm to 8pm