Western Bulldogs star and former Sydney full-forward Barry Hall is hoping a shock in the air will spark his side on the ground in his final hurrah at his old SCG stomping ground on Saturday.

The Bulldogs' flight to Sydney was delayed due to the heavy rain lashing the harbour city and after the plane finally took off, it was hit by lightning.

"We didn't have much spark last week, so hopefully that sparks us this week...I was sweating up, I thought we were going down," Hall said in Sydney on Friday.

The veteran forward and 2005 Sydney premiership-winning co-captain earlier this week announced he would retire at the end of this season.

Saturday's game will almost certainly be his last at the SCG, which he called home for eight seasons.

Both eighth-placed Sydney and the Bulldogs, who entered the round four places and six points further back, are coming off a loss last week.

Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade, who coached Sydney for six and a half seasons, described it as "a classic eight-point game."

"I think realistically if we want to keep our hopes alive, these are the games we have to win, it gets more important each week now," Hall said.

Hall was looking forward to a "proper send off" at the SCG, as his farewell to the Swans fans in 2009 didn't come after an actual game, but rather followed the announcement he was finishing at the club.

"I think playing and saying goodbyes are different than sitting on the back of the Ute and saying goodbye," Hall said.

"It's going to be good. It probably won't be as emotional, because last time I didn't think I was going to play again."

The Bulldogs gave Hall another AFL lifeline and that led to him regarding himself more as a member of that club rather than Sydney, where he played many more games.

Hall didn't expect that declaration to turn the Swans fans against him on Saturday.

Asked if anyone from Sydney had apologised for the way his career at the club ended Hall said:"I don't think an apology is warranted."

Eade conceded Sydney's greater familiarity with wet conditions this year might give them an advantage, in addition to playing at home.

"But I think it's probably two even sides who are obviously going to be tested by the conditions," Eade said.

More rain is forecast for Saturday when Sydney hope to improve their dismal 2011 SCG record of two wins from six games.

"Our goal for the rest of the year is to try and turn that around and get it on a positive note," Sydney midfielder Josh Kennedy said.

"We've won one out of the last five, so we need to turn it around and it's just about focusing on the little things, trying to tick the boxes this week and put a four quarter effort in."

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