ESSENDON midfielder Travis Colyer is confident out-of-contract teammate Jake Carlisle will re-sign with the Bombers. 

Carlisle's future has been a big talking point for the Bombers this year with his manager Anthony McConville confirming earlier this month the forward has received a "lot of interest" from rival clubs. 

The 23-year-old has deferred contract talks to focus on his on-field performance increasing speculation he may walk away from the Bombers at season's end.

But Colyer told AFL.com.au he had faith his teammate would sign a new deal with the Bombers.

"Jakey and I got drafted in the same year together so we've always been a little bit closer to each other," Colyer said.

"You can just tell the way he is around the club, the kind of guy he is and how he is with the playing group, I'm confident he'll be around. 

"He's such an important player and he's shown what he can do to certain players in the competition whether he's down back or up forward."

Essendon sits 13th on the ladder with four wins from 10 matches, having lost three of their last four games since WADA announced it would appeal the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal's not guilty verdict.

After last week's dismal loss to Geelong coach James Hird said he believed the WADA appeal had cast a cloud over the playing group and was beginning to affect their on-field performance.

Former Geelong champion Cameron Mooney has since suggested the Bombers appear "cooked" and "the players completely flattened".

Colyer denied the playing group was mentally fatigued and hit back at Mooney's comments.

"I don't think it's necessarily affecting us on the field," he said. 

"Once you're out there it's the furthest thing from your mind. Everything is out of our control and it has been this whole time. 

"If we get caught up thinking about what people are saying in the media then people will probably buy into those ideas but as a group we're not flat, we're not cooked and we're not thinking about WADA.

"As a playing group we are probably more determined than ever to be pushing through because it hasn't been the greatest last couple of weeks and you sort of want to prove a few people wrong. 

The Bombers fly to Perth on Friday ahead of Saturday's clash against West Coast at Domain Stadium.

Colyer said the side was keen to turn their season around and was bullish about their chances of still finishing inside the top eight.

"I'm more than confident that we can play finals," Colyer said. 

"As playing group we've been through a lot and we have that desperation and desire to achieve something."