Recapture the fire, Dogs told

WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has urged his players to delve into their memory banks and rediscover what made them a premiership team last year.

Languishing in ninth spot on the ladder after losing five of their past seven matches, the Bulldogs are desperate to turn around their form, starting against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium tonight.

Beveridge said although he was “not worried” his side may not find its best form of last season, he added “that’s reality and we’ve talked about that”.

“In our memory banks in recent times we know what works so we’ve just got to really delve into that,” Beveridge said.

“Those connections relationship-wise and even from a team perspective and a culture perspective, there’s a real strength there. So we just need to make sure we bring that out.

“[We’re] well aware that as the weeks tick by that our chances towards the back end of the year diminish.

“We’ve got to focus on the things that have made us a good side when we’ve beaten pretty good teams and we feel we can get back there. It’s as good a time as any against the Kangaroos this week.”

Beveridge dismissed suggestions from former Melbourne champion David Schwarz this in the week that there were factions among the Bulldogs group where there were players who “aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on a number of issues”.

“For it to beat up into a big issue is pretty disappointing because it just shows someone with an agenda trying to pull us apart and I think that’s concerning,” Beveridge said.

“We know we’re not playing the best footy, but let’s just stick to that rather than finding things that aren’t there.”

The Bulldogs have made only two forced changes from their side that lost to Melbourne by 57 points last weekend, with Lin Jong (knee) and Tom Boyd (calf) going out of the side for Tom Campbell and Jack Redpath.

Beveridge said Boyd “may be a chance” to take on West Coast next weekend along with captain Robert Murphy (hamstring).

Western Bulldogs overcame North Melbourne by three points in a Good Friday thriller when the two sides last met in Round 4.