Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade admits his unbeaten team faces its acid test in coming weeks as it leaves the comforts of home for a gruelling period on the road - starting with Sunday's trip to Sydney.
The Dogs are enjoying their best start to a season since 1946 - unbeaten in their first six matches with five wins and a draw to leave them just half a game adrift of early season pacesetters Geelong and Hawthorn.
But Eade, ever the realist, also realises his team has enjoyed a dream draw to start the season - with five of their first six matches at their home ground at Telstra Dome while the other was at the MCG.
However the Dogs face the first of seven interstate trips for the season this week, when they travel to Sydney - where they have not won since 2002 - with another two interstate trips to come in the next three weeks.
"The fact is we haven't beaten Sydney for a while and it's played on their home ground so it will be a good test for us," Eade said.
"We have got a reasonable record going interstate, you probably hope for a 50 percent record when you play away but we have got three out of the next four interstate so it's certainly a solid trot for us."
But Eade said the Bulldogs have already shown this season they can overcome significant challenges.
"Adelaide is a very good side that is probably looking for a top four spot and we beat them in round one and while St Kilda is a bit down at this stage, we hadn't beat them for a long time (since 2004) before beating them (in round three)."
"We look at our season in six week blocks but we know the next six weeks is a real challenge for us."
Eade said he expected veteran midfielder Scott West to play against the Swans, even though he has pulled up sore following last week's win over the Eagles in his first game following a two-week lay-off with a knee injury.
"He was a little bit sore from the weekend and he hasn't trained yet but he is not too bad," Eade said of West.
"And with an eight day break between games, we are fairly confident he will play this week."