TWO-TIME All Australian defender Brian Lake will play in the VFL this weekend for the first time since 2003 in a bid to recapture form and fitness.  

Coach Rodney Eade suggested the 29-year-old could benefit from a spell for Williamstown earlier this week owing to his limited pre-season and disappointing performance against Collingwood.

On Wednesday, assistant coach Brett Montgomery said the decision had been made in conjunction with Lake. He will miss the Dogs' round seven clash with the Sydney Swans at Manuka Oval in Canberra in favour of a run with the Seagulls.

"It's not speculation. Brian will go back to the VFL for form and fitness," he said at Whitten Oval.

"We've sat down with Brian and devised a plan that's best for him and the club to get him into that form and also get some confidence up for where his body's at.

"He's coming off some significant injuries. He probably came back a little bit too early but that's what you do when you've got quality players to bring in; you want to get him in as early as you can.

"It just didn't work too well for him or us. We think it's a good plan, we need him to work diligently with the club and make sure we get him up to speed really quickly."

Lake was known as Brian Harris when he last played in the lower league (in 2007 he changed his surname from his mother's maiden name so he could carry on his father's surname through son Cohen).

Montgomery said Lake took the suggestion well and agreed he needed to boost his confidence after a limited pre-season where he endured three separate surgeries.  

The Dogs will make at least two other changes this week with Daniel Giansiracusa and Ben Hudson to return from injury while emerging forward Zeph Skinner and South Australian draftee Jayden Schofield are in the mix.

It also looks like Jordan Roughead will join Lake - and defender Ryan Hargrave, who will play his first game for the year - in Williamstown's clash with Sandringham at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday.

Montgomery said the Dogs would not play Hudson, Roughead and Will Minson together, and the latter was hard to drop after his 56 hit-outs against Collingwood on Sunday.  

"We probably won't, certainly with the way the game is at the moment and the amount of run that we need," he said.

"We know it will be a contested game and a really competitive game this week but we won't be taking the three.

"I would have thought [Minson stays in]. That's the hunger we wanted from big Wilbur and he delivered exactly what we needed on the weekend."

Montgomery said the Dogs would take heart from their good record at Manuka that has seen them win four games from their five starts at the venue.

"We're really happy with our form there. We love the ground and it certainly beats playing at the SCG," he said.

"Our guys take a lot of confidence from little wins like that and it would be remiss of us not to hit them home and take advantage.

"We certainly realise every time the Swans play they make it a really competitive game, a contested game and that's the game they want to play.

"We pride ourselves at that as well. We love contested footy, we're good at it so I think this game will be won and lost by the side that can make the most of the opportunities when the ball does come out in the open."

Shaun Higgins (groin) and Barry Hall (ankle) will not be considered to make the trip.