WESTERN BULLDOGS coach Luke Beveridge will back his burgeoning young midfield to go head to head with Fremantle's star-studded on-ball division in Sunday's clash at Etihad Stadium.

With the Dockers’ midfield boasting All Australian playmakers Nat Fyfe and David Mundy, Beveridge is confident his young charges can hold their own.

"Most game we've just taken opposition midfields head on and that probably won't change throughout out the course of the game," said Beveridge on Saturday.

"(But) if either of those guys are having an significant influence, we'll look at it.

"It's going to have a really big influence on proceedings and the outcome of the game."

But Beveridge is well aware it's just not the Dockers' midfield the Dogs will have to stop if they're to inflict the premiership favourites’ first loss of the season.

Still, he remains confident his team can cause another upset.

"I do, (but) obviously we'll find out tomorrow," said Beveridge

"Hopefully we can hold together, personnel wise throughout the course of the day and really challenge Fremantle.

"They're playing tremendously well and we've gone to school on the way they play, so we hope we can challenge them with some of the stuff we're doing at the moment."

And the Dogs will do it without Jack Macrae, after the young gun was surprisingly dropped with the return of Mitch Wallis, Matthew Boyd and Lin Jong from injury and the debut of draftee Bailey Dale.

"There is competition for spots within our football club and 'Jacko' has a few things in his game he needs to work on," said Beveridge

"It's just a matter of picking the 22 players who are performing the best and this week 'Jacko' isn’t quite in that 22 and he understands that.

"He'll play today against the Cats at VFL level and put his best foot forward, and if he plays well he'll be in consideration for next week."