WESTERN Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade wants the round 22 clash with Collingwood re-scheduled to earlier that weekend.

The current fixture has them playing in the last game of the round at 4.40pm on Sunday.

Both sides will play finals the following week, and Eade said it was up to the league to either move the game or guarantee both sides a six-day break before their respective first September encounters.

It would only become an issue if either side were scheduled to play on the Friday night of the first week of the finals series.

"In an ideal world, [moving the game] would be great for us because we'd get an extra day's break going into the finals series," Eade said at Whitten Oval on Tuesday morning.

"Certainly from our point of view we would love to play on a Friday or Saturday [in round 22].

"The concern of both Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs is that if you went into a finals series on five-day breaks, it is not acceptable. You would not be able to play a final on a five-day break.

"If we play the Sunday then have a six-day break the next week, that's okay. It will be interesting to see how it pans out."

The Dogs play West Coast at Docklands this Saturday but will again be without Robert Murphy (hamstring) and Scott Welsh (ankle).

"Murph could play, but with the problem he's had with the tendon in his knee we think another week's loading in a controlled environment will suit him better for the long term, as far as the finals campaign [is concerned]," Eade said.

"Welsh's ankle is still giving him grief."

Shaun Higgins is at least two weeks away from resuming from a hamstring injury while Daniel Giansiracusa is on track to play VFL in round 21 as he recovers from a knee complaint.

Eade said Lindsay Gilbee was coping well following the death of his father, Lawrie, on Friday night.

He said the defender trained on Monday and Tuesday, and had benefitted from being around the club and among his teammates.

Gilbee is expected to take his place in the side this Saturday following Thursday's funeral. 

Eade believes the Bulldogs won't be taking the Eagles lightly this weekend, with a number of encouraging performances this year belying their lowly ladder position.

"They played well [against Essendon]. I think they've got some good young players, and they obviously played pretty well on the weekend," he said.

"We're under no illusions. I thought they probably should have won the weekend before as well.

"There's probably three or four games this year they should have won that could have put them up close to a finals shot.

"That's where I think the Eagles are. They're up there with teams that are fighting for the eight, so it's not going to be an easy game."