WESTERN Bulldogs forward Daniel Giansiracusa believes his side will not be affected by the fact it has become raging favourites for Saturday night's clash with Port Adelaide in Darwin.

The Bulldogs have plunged to odds of $1.13 against Port's offering of $5.50, given their hold of second spot on the ladder combined with the 12th-placed Power making seven changes to their side.

Giansiracusa said the Dogs will make a point of not entering the match complacent, considering the unpredictable nature of the competition.

"We've dealt with most situations pretty well this year," he said.

"If we want to be up the top of the ladder, most games you go in as favourite, so we've got to deal with that expectation.

"I think we will on the weekend."

He also said while the Bulldogs enjoy their annual home-and-away fixture in the sunny Top End, they don't view the mid-season Darwin trip – that precedes their weekend off – as an extension of their scheduled hiatus.

"We've come here to win and we'll deal with the break after the game," he said.

"Obviously they're here to win as well and the competition is so even, if you relax, any team can beat you on any given day.

"We're definitely keen on getting a win on the board and then going into the break and, as Port will, reassessing and going from there."

Giansiracusa said the Dogs are ready for the balmy evening expected for Saturday's match, with the club preparing for the conditions over the past month.

"When you get off the plane, the heat is obviously noticeable," he said.

"The last four weeks, we've been in the heat chamber down at Vic Uni in Melbourne and hopefully that will bring a small percentage to helping us during the game.

"I think we felt it a bit last night [at training], but we're up here for a couple of days so hopefully we'll get used to it."

He also said it was pleasing to finally arrive in Darwin – with baggage intact – after a marathon trip from Melbourne that took nearly seven hours.

The Bulldogs were forced to sit on the runway in Alice Springs for over an hour while Qantas dealt with a luggage issue, although the airline did allow the players to stretch on the tarmac while the delay took place.

"We've all got our bags back now," he laughed.

"Obviously you don't want to sit on the tarmac for too long, but we got out and were allowed to have a stretch and stuff like that.

"It was good to get a stretch on the training track. We blew out a few cobwebs at training last night, getting used to the heat.

"We're ready to go."