A premiership within three years is the long-term vision, but newly re-signed coach Rodney Eade is confident the Western Bulldogs haven't blown their chances of winning the 2009 AFL title.

Eade is the fifth coach to re-sign with their club this year by committing to a two-year deal, which will give him seven seasons in the role and tie him in until the end of 2011.

Having finalised contract talks that began in November, Eade was pleased to be given the chance to focus solely on this campaign, given the Doggies face a battle to retain fourth spot and earn the double chance.

Saturday's upset defeat to West Coast left the Bulldogs a game behind third-placed Collingwood, and in danger of being overtaken by the Brisbane Lions (fifth) on Saturday night, with games against Geelong (second) and the Magpies in the last two rounds.

Eade was on Monday still disappointed by the loss to the Eagles, but hopeful it was just a slip-up and not the beginning of a slide out of the top four.

"We'd like to think it's an aberration, but it's something that we as a team and club need to be better at," he said.

"The good thing is the next three weeks are in our hands, we still control our own destiny.

"We play three very good teams and I think it's a fantastic lead-in to the finals."

The Bulldogs have mixed news on the injury front ahead of their crunch game at the Gabba, as forward Robert Murphy should return from a hamstring injury, but midfielder Daniel Cross was booked in for ankle surgery on Monday night.

Cross hurt his ankle on Saturday and will undergo exploratory surgery, but the timing means he is in doubt to play the Lions.

Scott Welsh (ankle) will also return this weekend, via the VFL, but fellow forwards Shaun Higgins (hamstring) and Daniel Giansiracusa (knee) are still another week away.

While the next three games will have a huge bearing on the Bulldogs' 2009 aspirations, Eade and president David Smorgon believe the club is well-placed to land its second premiership sooner rather than later.

Successive finals campaigns in 2008-09, a clutch of players in their mid-20s in the prime of their careers and an increase in spending in the football department has given Eade the platform to steer the club to its first flag since 1954.

"The hard work that's been done over the last four or five seasons in terms of development of the list and development of the team and the club, we're heading in the right direction," he said.

"Clearly I believe the next two years are going to be very exciting for us, so it's fantastic to be part of that ... (hopefully) we can finish the job that we need to do.

"... we as a club have created an opportunity to win a premiership and we think in the next two or three years we can."

Smorgon said the club's leadership stability on and off the field meant it was time for the Bulldogs to deliver.

"We look forward to continued success and the ultimate success," Smorgon said.

Eade's re-signing is also likely to sprinkle through to the players, as Higgins and fullback Brian Lake are two who have delayed contract talks while waiting for their coach to re-commit.

But Eade said the Bulldogs were no closer to deciding whether to speak to former Sydney forward Barry Hall about him playing next year.

Eade's re-signing follows those of John Worsfold (West Coast), Mark Williams (Port Adelaide), Mark Thompson (Geelong) and Mick Malthouse (Collingwood) this year, and leaves North Melbourne and Richmond as the two clubs yet to shore up their coaches for 2010.

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