MEDIA COVERAGE: Fox Sports 1 (Melbourne 4pm, Adelaide 3.30pm, Perth 2pm, NSW & ACT 4pm, Queensland 4pm), SEN, ABC Radio (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Darwin), 5AA, 6PR, afl.com.au (live audio and scoring)

HEAD-TO-HEAD: West Coast 21 wins, Western Bulldogs 12 wins, Drawn 1

LAST TIME: West Coast 16.17 (113) d Western Bulldogs 5.9 (39), first semi-final, 2006, at Subiaco

TAB Sportsbet: West Coast - $1.24, Western Bulldogs - $3.80

MILESTONES: Bulldogs defender Ryan Hargrave is set to play his 100th game this week, while Peter Street is looking at notching up his 50th club game milestone. Hargrave was drafted by the Bulldogs in 1999 and was nominated for the NAB AFL Rising Star in 2002. He has played every game this season and has averaged more than 16 possessions a week, while manning some of the competition's most talented forwards. Street started his career at Geelong in 2001 and played 17 games for the Cats before crossing to the Dogs at the end of 2003. In total, he has played 66 senior AFL games and has kicked 14 goals.

INJURIES: The Bulldogs are looking relatively healthy, but will test Brett Montgomery (ribs) ahead of this weekend. Damian McCormack (knee) and Chris Grant (groin) are their longer-term prospects, and are both set to miss another five weeks. The Eagles are also fairly light on for injuries, but will put Sam Butler (groin) through his paces before making a decision on his availability, while Josh Wooden (thigh) is three weeks away and Mark Nicoski (shoulder) another five.

RECENT HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY: It's fair to say the Bulldogs will still be having nightmares about the last time they crossed the country to meet the Eagles at Subiaco. After defeating the Magpies in the first week of the finals, they were faced with the daunting task of travelling to meet the Eagles on their turf. It was a 74-point lesson the Dogs won't forget in a hurry that eventuated, as the soon-to-be premiers were relentless in ending the finals aspirations of Rodney Eade's men.

Prior to that match, the Dogs had broken a five-year hoodoo with a nine-point win in round 13 at the ground. They went to Perth for that match with indifferent expectations, having not beaten the Eagles there since 2001, and drawing in 2003. Head-to-head, without the "Subi" factor, the Dogs have won two of the past three of their clashes, and even handed the Eagles a 43-point loss at the MCG in 2005.

RECENT FORM: The Bulldogs have got back on the winners list in the past two weeks with victories over Hawthorn and Richmond. With three wins for the year, the Dogs are level with six other sides as far as points are concerned, but sit just outside the top eight on percentage.

After dispatching Geelong in round one, the Dogs tumbled from their pedestal in the following two weeks and lost winnable matches against Adelaide and St Kilda. In the past fortnight they have seemingly turned things around and are playing with a more determined mindset.

Eade was disappointed with the Bulldogs' win over the Hawks, and criticised the way they allowed their opposition back into the contest with a goalless final term. He also said the Dogs "still haven't reached the standard that we want" in the area of intensity, both directed at the ball and on the opposition.

The Eagles are undefeated and sitting on top of the premiership ladder after holding off a late Richmond surge at the MCG last weekend. After a slow start they kicked six unanswered goals in the second term and got in front, and were able to withstand the Tigers as the home side came home strong.

The premiers have also defeated Sydney, Collingwood, Fremantle and Carlton, and have only left the safe surroundings of Subiaco twice so far.

RED HOT PLAYERS: Veteran seven-time best-and-fairest winner Scott West was in unbelievable touch against the Hawks, when he amassed 41 touches. He was closely supported by full-back Brian Harris, who enjoyed a career-high 29 disposals while manning Tim Boyle, while Daniel Cross (32 possessions) and Lindsay Gilbee (29) were their usual prolific selves. Shaun Higgins had an electrifying first half and ended the match with three goals, while Robert Murphy continued to improve and also kicked three, with Luke Darcy managing a pair of majors.

For the Eagles, Daniel Kerr continued with his scintillating form and picked up 28 possessions against the Tigers, while Adam Selwood put the past few weeks of off-field drama behind him to play an impressive game. Quinten Lynch contributed with four goals while Chris Judd was his influential self.

THE X-FACTOR: Jason Akermanis. While predominantly known for his exciting foot skills around goal, Akermanis also has the ability to run with players and take on a blanketing role. The age-old rule of "playing back into fitness" might come into context here and Eade might decide to give "Aker" a job on one of the Eagles' damaging midfielders. There are many choices available, but Chris Judd and Daniel Kerr could be considered for Akermanis, which would provide interesting contests. It would also test just what the former Lion is made of after returning only last week from a hamstring complaint.

QUIRKY STAT: The Bulldogs won their first-ever encounter with West Coast after it joined the league in 1987, but it would be another five years before they'd win again. The Eagles went on an eight-game winning streak against the Dogs between 1988 and 1992 before the drought finally ended in a low-scoring affair at Western Oval in round 23 of 1992. Proceedings have been fairly even since, although the Dogs have struggled at Subiaco since 2002.

The Dogs also played their final home-and-away match at Western Oval (now Whitten Oval) against the Eagles, and put a positive spin on the otherwise sad occasion with an 18-point win. The match was held in round 21, 1997, in front of 26,704 spectators.

FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS: Andrew McDougall. The former Eagle crossed to the Bulldogs at the end of last season in a bid to reinvent his career after six years at West Coast. After two quiet appearances in rounds one and two, McDougall has been spending time in the VFL but will be itching to get back into the senior side after struggling for a game in the firsts at West Coast. He was drafted by the Eagles with pick number five in the 2000 National AFL Draft, and was a NAB AFL Rising Star nominee in 2003. He was then traded by the club for selections 29 and 59 in the NAB AFL Draft last year.

WHAT THE FAN SAYS: "What? Crunch time already?

If Terry Wallace was still coach of the Dogs (and that article in the Herald Sun earlier this year made it sound like he misses the boys!), he would probably have deemed this Saturday's collision at Subiaco as one of those defining matches where he gets everyone to sign the ball and pledge their allegiance to the cause.

But of course, he's not the coach. Rodney Eade is. And if Rocket's successful approach so far is anything to go by, he'll be insisting that the Dogs don't need any artificial, symbolic or publicity-generating stimulus to steel themselves for the Eagles.

A glance over their shoulders to last September is surely a realistic enough motivation for the Dogs to prove to themselves, not the football public, that they've gained some ground since then.

The Dogs aren't playing especially well. I think they know that. They could have crushed Hawthorn in the last quarter last Sunday. They didn't.

There'll be no such luxurious margin for error this Saturday.Kill or be killed is the beautiful and brutally simple equation against the Eagles.Even though the season's but a pup, what a cut-and-dried test of character to savour.Go Dogs." - John Skaro, Bulldogs member.

WHAT THE COACH SAYS: "I think they have improved, I think they have become a better side."They are a very young squad who are very well developed physically."They have got a lot of talent and I think the scary thing for the competition is they are getting better and they can get better because of their age." – Rodney Eade, Bulldogs coach.