DOUBT remains over the fitness of Western Bulldogs left-footer Matt Suckling, with his teammates less than certain about the defender's chances of returning for the Grand Final.

Suckling missed the preliminary final, along with three matches in four weeks during the latter part of the year, after struggling with an ongoing Achilles issue. 

Caleb Daniel was hopeful that Suckling would be declared fit to face the Sydney Swans on Saturday.

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"I'm not too sure. He'll probably train this week and give himself the best opportunity," Daniel said at the club on Monday.

Fellow teammate Tom Boyd was unaware of the dual premiership player's injury status just five days out from the 2016 decider.

"I haven't heard much to be honest. We really don't know," Boyd said.

Bulldogs general manager of football Graham Lowe was confident he would be available for selection.

"Matty has had an ongoing Achilles issue and having the weekend off has certainly helped it to settle," he said.

"He's presented well to the start of the week and we'll access him through training this week, with a view to him being able for selection for the weekend."

Suckling missed the 2013 premiership at Hawthorn while recovering from a knee reconstruction, before playing in the 2014 and 2015 flags with the Hawks.

With Suckling the only Bulldogs player to have won a flag, Jake Stringer said his teammate's finals experience would be important, regardless of whether he lined up on Saturday.

The clash will be the club's first decider since 1961 after a string of seven straight preliminary final losses dating back to 1985.

"He'll be really good support for the young boys to bounce questions and ideas off, and how to deal with the expectation and the noise from outside, because the western suburbs will be rocking this week," Stringer said.

Gun midfielder Marcus Bontempelli left the field early in the third term versus the Giants after a corkie to his upper right leg, but said he had pulled up well. He returned to the ground and was influential in the final quarter.

"The body's in good nick. It's going to be sore, as most probably most of the boys are," Bontempelli said.

"It was just a knock, ones you get week in, week out. You're conditioned to the pain a little bit, to the corkies that come with the game."