Senior coach Rodney Eade has described Saturday night's clash at Telstra Dome between his seventh-placed Western Bulldogs and Essendon, sitting eighth on the ladder and separated only by percentage, as a 'mini final'.
Both teams have been hit hard by injury and suspension, none of which is any excuse, according to Eade.
The Bombers have lost James Hird (calf), Alwyn Davey (broken arm) and suspended pair Dustin Fletcher and Mark McVeigh from last week's line-up, while the Bulldogs will be without veteran ball-winner Scott West who tweaked a groin in the Dogs' win over Port Adelaide.
Eade rates Chris Grant a 50/50 chance to recover from hamstring tightness however for a match he describes as the club's biggest of the season so far.
"I think they get bigger by the week. Probably the game after is going to be our biggest one and the game after that will be bigger again," Eade said ahead of training at Whitten Oval on Wednesday.
"I think teams will have that really for the next eight rounds, it's that even the competition and it's going to ebb and flow."
"People have made their predictions about who’s going to make the eight but I think it's too close to call."
Eade said the Bulldogs' main problem all season had been their inconsistency, but that winning three of the last four had helped his players to focus on winning.
"I think the good thing for us and teams who are just a game out (of the eight) or right on it … the future is in your own control," he said."
"Even if you're a game out at this stage if you win the games you should you're going to make the eight."