Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade remains confident his side can bounce back and keep their premiership dream alive despite the loss to Collingwood on Saturday night.
The Bulldogs were completely outclassed by the Magpies as they kicked just three goals to half-time on their way to a crushing 62-point loss.
The Dogs will now play the winner of Sunday's elimination final between Sydney and Carlton in a cut-throat semi final next week.
Despite his men slumping to their third heavy defeat in the past month, Eade is adamant his side can rebound as they have done in the previous two years.
"I think now we've just got to more than anything is get the mental state right for next week. We can't look backwards, we can't change the result so it's about getting the team right for next week," Eade said.
"I've got confidence in it, we've done it before. We got beaten by Hawthorn two years ago here by 60 points and we were able to win the next week. Got beaten last year and we won the next week, so that's what we're doing."
"It's a week next Saturday night so that's the next battle we've got to look at. There's no good pouring over tonight, we've got to get them up …we'll probably have an easier week on the track, but we need to get them up mentally and physically."
Skipper Brad Johnson, one of several players who entered the game under an injury cloud, looked nowhere near 100 percent fit and had no impact on the match with just 12 possessions, three marks and two behinds.
Eade defended his decision to play him and other players who were in doubt such as Ryan Griffen and Shaun Higgins and guaranteed Johnson's selection for next week's match.
"Johnson was fit, he just played poorly. Higgins did a reasonable job early as far as his tagging job and even Johnno on Shaw, obviously both didn't play that well but in hindsight I don't think that they were unfit," he said.
"The main challenge is next week. Brad's form while he has been playing has been okay, but he had a bad one tonight."
"I suppose he is a victim of his own standards and his own standing in the game and he didn't play well but everyone has a bad game at some stage.
"Brad will be playing next week."