The Dogs head into 2017 as equal second favourites with Sydney behind GWS, but Beveridge acknowledges that one of the challenges is to ensure the players are not resting on their laurels and are still motivated to climb back up the mountain.

"It's always a challenge after you have any success that drive and the appetite - not just for hard work but for what's actually required to be a successful outfit - is always there," Beveridge said at Whitten Oval on Thursday.

"We've spoken about different things at different times to stimulate each other, really, and time will tell whether or not we're in a good place with it.

"We won't know until we get right into the season how we're prepared from a psychological point of view.

"But we feel we've built into this round one. We've got some momentum off the (last) JLT Series game against the Gold Coast so we feel like we're cherry ripe to play well tomorrow."

Beveridge is no stranger to the task of motivating players to achieve back-to-back premierships. He guided St Bedes-Mentone to a remarkable three-peat in the VAFA between 2006-08.

The premiership coach said he would draw on some of his experiences which led to the amateur club claiming the C-Grade, B-Grade and A-Grade premierships in consecutive years.

"There's constant change; in those three years there were only eight players who played in all three of those premierships," Beveridge said.

"On Friday Bob (Murphy) will play and Matty Suckling will play and Travis (Cloke) will play and Stewart Crameri's likely to play - there's four players who didn't play (in the premiership) last year so that's a fair amount of change when you consider the way we finished last year.

"So the way we play in the phases will probably subtly evolve again based on our personnel available and that stimulates you as well."

Beveridge felt Cloke would be "pretty nervous" ahead of the clash with his former club Collingwood on Friday night and anticipated the 30-year-old would get a rowdy reception from the black-and-white faithful at the MCG.

Cloke crossed to the Dogs in last year's trade period after a forgettable 2016 with the Magpies which saw him get dropped from the senior team three times.

"Maybe," Beveridge said when asked if he thought Cloke would be targeted by Collingwood players and supporters.

"I'm sure that the supporters and players have still got a huge soft spot for 'Clokey', he's a decorated player at the Collingwood Football Club, a premiership player, and I'm sure they'll all remember that.

"But once you hit the turf and it's us against them, I'm sure they'll remind him and let him know that he's definitely playing for the opposition."

Beveridge said Cloke would play a variety of roles in the forward line and would also help Tom Boyd by pinch-hitting in the ruck.

The Dogs coach admitted it was a "difficult conversation" to have with some premiership players that they wouldn't be lining up against the Magpies.

Tory Dickson is one such player who has been ruled out and Josh Dunkley is another who is "in the mix" but not guaranteed a spot in the 22 as yet.

Meanwhile, Beveridge said Mitch Wallis was five or six weeks away from playing again after suffering a horrendous broken leg late last season but Jordan Roughead (hamstring) remained "a fair way away".