THE WESTERN Bulldogs will "get creative" this Saturday when it comes to stopping the influence of Lance Franklin, given three of their first-choice defenders are unavailable.

Dale Morris (leg), Brian Lake (knee) and Tom Williams (foot) have all been ruled out for the season while Ryan Hargrave has had an interrupted year and didn't play against Port Adelaide on the weekend.

It leaves caretaker coach Paul Williams with the predicament of finding a backman capable of taking on the athletic Hawk, who has kicked 15 goals in his last three games and six against the Bulldogs in their last two matches.

Lukas Markovic looms as a possibility but might not be able to keep up with Buddy's pace, while James Mulligan - one of the quickest players at the club - could earn a recall.

Or, in just his second AFL game, Ayce Cordy could have a crack after honing his skills as a key defender in the VFL this season.

"We've got to get creative. As you guys know, we're down a lot of foot soldiers, especially tall ones in our back half," Williams said on Wednesday.

"We'll look at a few options, some a bit different, but we'll exhaust every option we've got.

"We've been undermanned in our back half all year."

Easton Wood, one of eight players to announce a contract extension on Wednesday, is another option.

He came off the track early on Wednesday after tweaking his ankle, but Williams said he expected him to be fit to face the Hawks on Saturday.

The caretaker coach also said he would look for his players to replicate the sort of intensity that saw them kick 10 unanswered goals in the first quarter against the Power.

He was also keen to see how his inexperienced line up would shape up against the Hawks, with Cordy and Jordan Roughead to shoulder the ruck duties for the second week running. 

"We're looking for that same sort of intensity this week, and we know it's a totally different challenge," Williams said.

"It's against a side that has talent in every line and a coach that's very switched on.

"We're under no illusions but we're really, really comfortable with the side we're going to put out.

"The learning that you get as a young guy, playing against a side that's a chance to win the thing, is almost like five to 10 games of experience. It's enormous."

Williams was appointed as caretaker last Thursday after Rodney Eade decided against coaching out the season following the club's decision not to offer him a new contract.

He said on Friday he was keen on the full-time job, but is yet to meet with the coach selection sub-committee -CEO Simon Garlick, football manager James Fantasia, director Geoff Walsh and former players Chris Grant and Tom Harley - to discuss his application.

"I haven't sat down with James or Simon yet. I know that the committee has been put in place and the interview will take place most likely near close of the year," he said.

"But that's as far as I know at this stage. We're very much focusing and trying to finish the year on a positive note."

Jennifer Witham covers Western Bulldogs news for the AFL Website. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham