First impressions don't do Daniel Cross the justice he deserves.

Before Rodney Eade began coaching the Western Bulldogs, he thought the midfielder was a well-disciplined player, whose courage was his most notable attribute.

It was not until Eade landed at Whitten Oval, before the 2005 season, that he realised how hard Cross pushed himself in training.

He was amazed.

"It's probably as good as I've seen on the training track in getting the best out of himself," Eade said of Cross, who will on Sunday achieve a well-deserved milestone by playing his 100th AFL game, against Melbourne at Telstra Dome.

"It was really through weight of his work rate that he got his opportunity early that year in the (pre-season competition) and he played well, so he played all year as a midfielder and in 2005 he finished second in the best and fairest.

"So that showed you what a good season he had."

After providing that opportunity and having it repaid with interest, Eade now has one of the competition's best midfielders, damaging with the ball and without given his fearless tackling.

But before he arrived, Cross was a fringe player who managed only 10 games in his first three seasons after he was drafted in 2000.

By 2003, Cross was tiring of being constantly named an emergency despite strong VFL form and began considering a move to another club as the kick his career needed.

The Bulldogs offered another season's contract and he played 14 games under Peter Rohde in 2004, but Eade's arrival brought about lift-off.

"When Rocket (Eade) came, it's just gone from strength to strength, so I'm glad I ended up staying," Cross said.

"He's just given me confidence in myself.

"Back in my early days I know I had a lot of weaknesses.

"But he focused on my strengths and what I could bring to the team and that gave me confidence in myself and allowed me to keep going out and training hard and think that I'm going somewhere with my career.

"He's stuck with me through the thick and thin and he's a real positive coach and great to have around."

The respect is mutual between player and coach, as Eade fondly recalled the boy from Albury "smashing the door down" in pursuit of fulfilling his dream.

"Crossy's story is a great story for a guy who's got a few shortcomings in his game," he said.

"But his positives just outweigh that by that much and the example he sets to other players is just fantastic."

A home game against the bottom side would appear an ideal way for the second-placed Bulldogs to begin the run-home.

But Eade said the Demons' recent form had been encouraging - they beat the Brisbane Lions last round - and that the Bulldogs' 95-point win in round two counted for little.

"Zero. Absolutely zero," Eade said.

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