Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade has no doubt his players believe they can beat Collingwood on Sunday despite injuries and a short break.

The Bulldogs lost to the reigning AFL premiers three times last season, including a big defeat in the finals, when they were injury-depleted.

That will again be the case at the MCG this weekend.

Key forward Barry Hall has been forced out with an ankle injury and ruckman Ben Hudson and half-forward Shaun Higgins with soreness, while Daniel Giansiracusa will again be missing with a hamstring problem.

Tall defender Tom Williams (back spasms) is also in doubt, despite being named in the Dogs' squad on Thursday night.

But despite also coming off a narrow loss to Fremantle in Perth on Monday night, giving them less than six days' break, Eade said his players believed they could inflict the Magpies' first defeat since last August.

"The belief's there, I've got no problem with that," Eade said.

"Even coming back from Perth and the result there, the belief's been good, the mood's been good.

"So I've got no doubt the players, well they've said they've got belief, they can beat anyone.

"When you've got that mindset it's always a plus."

Eade said the Dogs would not be coming up with any radically different tactics to combat the Magpies' game plan, despite their three defeats last year.

"We'll tinker with things, but I think we'll play our way, you've just got to back yourself," he said.

He said the most significant factor would be the Bulldogs maintaining their intensity for the entire match.

Eade said Essendon fell about 20 minutes short of doing that on Monday, staying on level terms with the Magpies until the competition's form side pulled away late.

"If you lapse in concentration or you drop your workrate, Collingwood are going to make you pay," he said.

Eade said there were some good signs in the loss to the Dockers, with key workrate indicators high, such as winning clearances and contested balls, despite the Dogs failing to clinch victory.

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