The Western Bulldogs will need to brace themselves for the ‘manic’ game-style of one of the competition’s form teams, according to senior coach Luke Beveridge.

Beveridge believes the Bombers are “going as well as anyone” in the competition and provide a formidable threat, even without suspended star Dylan Shiel and injured guns Dyson Heppell, Jake Stringer and Joe Daniher.

The Bombers sit in fourth spot on the ladder – with a game in hand.

“They’re playing a really strong brand of team football, Essendon,” Beveridge said.

“They’ve got great cohesion and I think some of the adjustments they’ve made with their game style and how they’ve adapted it around their personnel has been outstanding.

“They play probably a bit more of a manic style than they’ve had in the past. That can really create scoring opportunities for them, but also if we hold our ground and our pressure game is pretty good, hopefully it will create a lot of opportunities for us.”

We’ve got to match the min that intensity and manic aspect of the game, and try to find a calmness in the way we play as well that’ll complement our style and hopefully influence the outcome.”

Beveridge’s Bulldogs have never lost to the Bombers – with five straight wins culminating in a 104-point triumph late in 2019.

That game is largely irrelevant now in the eyes of the coach, for multiple reasons.

“It’s a long time in the past now, and we probably don’t draw on too many things in that game,” Beveridge said.

“It’s a rarity – you’d love to be able to do it more often, but we haven’t really gone to school too much on that.

“They’ve changed significantly since then, not just personnel-wise but with the way that they’re playing, the make-up of their side and the momentum and surge side of the game.

“We’ve got a very different Essendon side to contend with and we’ve prepared well for it.”