WESTERN Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson believes Saturday night's clash with Port Adelaide will provide his side with the opportunity to set a standard for the second half of the season.
Johnson, 32, said a win at TIO Stadium this weekend would give the Bulldogs a positive mentality to attack the remaining 10 games.
"It's important for both teams. Port had a very good win last week and we're playing some pretty good footy as well so both sides will be pretty desperate to get the win," he said in Darwin on Friday.
"There are a lot of supporters up here for us so we're pretty excited about getting out there and putting on a good show for them.
"We're tracking along nicely, we started the season well and had a couple of flat patches but the last month has been pretty good.
"That's why we want to go into the break with a good win under our belt so that we can have that break and reset some goals going into the second half of the season."
Johnson said last year's 54-point Top End win over the Power was totally forgotten by his teammates and they would enter this encounter with a whole new approach.
He also predicted a solid contest, given the Power's inclusion of important forward Daniel Motlop and the recent form of Warren Tredrea.
"They certainly have [some firepower]. Daniel has been a fantastic player for them all year and certainly sets them alight, and Warren has been very strong as their marking forward," he said.
"They've got some strength up there and our defenders will certainly have to be on their mettle.
"We've got some good defenders as well who are looking forward to the challenge of taking on some of the better forwards in the competition, and we're lucky enough to have Scott Welsh and Rob Murphy back in our line up to strengthen us."
Johnson says he will wear a glove on his left hand for Saturday night's game, given the greasy conditions expected in the heat.
"We've done that over the last four years when we've come up here, just because the conditions are a little bit different when the ground gets wet," he said.
"It does help us because you sweat more up here, so it's good to have the sweat bands around the wrist to protect your hands a little bit more from getting sweaty.
"I think more guys will have the sweat bands on than anything else and a few of us will wear the gloves like we have for the last couple of years."
Johnson, teammate Lindsay Gilbee and club chaplain John Van Groningen arrived in Darwin on Wednesday night so they could spend Thursday on the Tiwi Islands delivering the message of the Red Dust Role Models with local children.
Red Dust is a non-profit health promotion charity that uses role models from a range to fields to emphasise its lifestyle education program to disadvantaged youths in remote communities.
"It was a great opportunity to have a bit of fun with them and have a kick and see some of their talents, which blew us away," Johnson said.