WESTERN Bulldogs caretaker coach Paul Williams has rejected reports Callan Ward will join Greater Western Sydney next season.

The Age reported on Wednesday that the emerging 21-year-old was poised to sign a five-year deal with the expansion side, but Williams said he has no reason to believe the story.

"We're still staying solid as a footy club. We don't have any reason to think otherwise until [Ward] tells us," Williams said from Whitten Oval on Wednesday. 

"He hasn't told us he's staying and he hasn't told us he's going.

"[I'm confident he'll stay] until I'm told otherwise."

Williams said he had not personally pitched to Ward about the benefits of staying.

"We speak on a regular basis like I do with every other player," he said.

If the reports prove correct, it would be the second player the Bulldogs have lost to the League's newest teams, after Jarrod Harbrow moved to Gold Coast last year.

"It's the environment these days. We know that's the environment and we know we've got it next year as well with GWS getting another crack at uncontracted blokes as well," Williams said.

"It's the current environment and we'll deal with it and move on."

The conjecture over Ward provided an unwelcome aside to Saturday's final-round clash with Fremantle at Etihad Stadium.

The Bulldogs are determined to end their season on a high and will draw on the retirements of Barry Hall, Ben Hudson and Mitch Hahn for inspiration.

Hall announced his retirement last month while Hudson, in his typical low-key way, told the club last week he wasn't seeking another contract.

On Saturday both will face a depleted Fremantle - who has just 23 fit players to pick from - while Hahn, who has been on the list as a mature-aged rookie for the past year, will play in Williamstown's qualifying final against North Ballarat on Sunday.

"We want to go out in the right manner for all three of those guys," Williams said.

"I'm sure I won't need to say a hell of a lot before the game to make sure they're in the right mindset to perform at the level those three would expect."

Hall came off halfway through Wednesday's training session at Whitten Oval but Williams dismissed his early departure as part of where his 34-year-old body was at.

He also said there was no chance of Hall backflipping on his decision to retire, despite kicking 35 goals in his past seven games.

"Hall's form has been really good. I think sometimes when you see the light at the end of the tunnel, you find a little bit more energy," he said.

"He's been enormous for the footy club for the two years he's been here.

"He's really left an important legacy, how to train and a lot of things so he's going to be sorely missed so we hope to have a really good performance for him, 'Huddo' and also Hahn."

Williams said he would again field a "young side" against Freo, minus two-gamer Ayce Cordy, who broke his hand against Hawthorn on Saturday and was absent from training.

He also said the game - and the past two since the Dogs fell out of finals contention - were about setting a standard for the upcoming pre-season.

"It's about habits. Every thing we do is about habits, and if we play without the right intensity and without the right ferocity at the contest, then you're creating poor habits and we don't want to do that," he said.

"We want to focus on what we need to do to play good, consistent, hard finals football, and to do that, we have to have a really good performance on Saturday."

To view video highlights of Paul Williams' press conference, please click here.