Western Bulldogs senior coach Luke Beveridge knows his side can ill-afford another slip up if it wants to feature in finals football this season.

The Bulldogs sit just four points outside the top eight with three games to play, ahead of crucial clash with the West Coast Eagles at Metricon Stadium on Sunday night.

After a narrow defeat to a premiership contender in Geelong last week, the Bulldogs now have the opportunity to atone against another in the Eagles, to keep their finals hopes alive.

It’s been an up and down season for the Bulldogs, who have a 7-7 record, but Beveridge maintains belief his team is good enough to get there.

“After we dropped the first two games, we’ve been trying to re-establish ourselves and what we’re capable of,” Beveridge said.

“We’ve been able to win seven out of the 12 that have just gone and we feel like against the better teams we’ve just had lapses in games that have really cost us.

“We’re a rung off the better teams at the moment and as I keep saying, I believe we can bridge the gap reasonably quickly.

“But time’s running out on the year and the urgency around whether or not you’re there after round 18, that remains. That doesn’t change. We’ve got no room to move. If we want to be there, we’ve got to win.”

The Bulldogs have been inventive in their ruck combinations in recent weeks, with Josh Dunkley shouldering a significant workload as Tim English has pushed forward.

Beveridge acknowledged that English is still developing and the Bulldogs have had to find different method around stoppages.

A big challenge awaits against the Eagles and star big man Nic Naitanui.

“One of the things that we’ve been really impressed with and lauded our players internally about is that we turn up at centre bounces largely not necessarily expecting to win the hit-out,” Beveridge said.

“We’re minus 11 clearances differential out of the centre for the whole year, but as far as points differential and score, we’re plus 45 points.

“West Coast are number one on 60 points. That’s the quantum of how much extra they’ve scored from centre bounce. 

“We go in there with really strong method and a collective mindset to do what we can, and our defenders have defended some clearances well.”