Experienced Western Bulldogs key forward Robert Murphy insists there is no panic at the Whitten Oval saying the Dogs have plenty of time to get their season back on track following four losses in the past five games.
Despite the club's late season slump - which is beginning to mirror last year's when the club failed to win any of its last seven matches - the Dogs are still guaranteed of finishing either second or third and facing Hawthorn in the qualifying final.
But Murphy knows it is important for the club to take some winning momentum into the finals.
"We have got two weeks to play some quality football before the finals," Murphy said on Wednesday.
"You want to go into the finals with a fair bit of momentum but we have built up a fair amount of momentum over the last 12 months and while we have lost that a bit over the last few weeks, we have got plenty of time to get it right."
"No-one is panicking, we will stick to what we know and we know we can turn it around."
"Some results haven't gone our way and we have had some dips along the way but we are ready to come out of it."
The Bulldogs get the ideal chance to emerge from their form slump on Friday night at Telstra Dome with a clash against a struggling Essendon side which is out of finals contention and has just 24 fit players to choose from.
But despite the seemingly easy assignment this week, the Dogs will resist the temptation to rush seven time best and fairest winner Scott West back into the senior side.
West, who has not played since round six, made his comeback in the VFL last week following knee problems but still looked proppy despite managing 27 touches.
And Bulldogs' assistant coach Peter Dean conceded the 33-year-old veteran was likely to play at least one more match in the VFL before making his long-awaited AFL return.
"He's still got a bit of residual soreness from it but he'll soldier on and we'll hope he comes up for us," Dean said on Wednesday.
"He needs to perform, he needs to get through games, and (then) he'll come into consideration."
Meanwhile key defender Tom Williams remains on track to return to the side next week, after having been sidelined since round 13 with shoulder and thigh injuries.
"Tommy won't play this week, he'll play the following week barring any setbacks," Dean said.