RETIRED Western Bulldogs hero Tony Liberatore has taken a swipe at his former club, questioning its leadership and calling for chief executive Campbell Rose to be sacked.

Brownlow Medallist Liberatore, a combative midfielder who played 283 games over 15 years with the Dogs, launched an attack on Rose, saying he was not the right man for the top job.

He said Rose was a divisive figure at the club and that the Bulldogs needed to get rid of him and perhaps long-serving president David Smorgon as well.

And Liberatore said coach Rodney Eade should also get his marching orders if he could not deliver the club a finals place this year.

"There's a clear lack of leadership at the club at the moment," Liberatore told the Seven Network.

"I'd like to see Campbell Rose move on and if that means there has to be a change from the top, whether that be the president ... they've been at the club for a long time now."

But Bulldogs president Smorgon hit back at Liberatore, saying he had no credibility and his comments were probably sour grapes because he had been overlooked for several jobs at the club.

Rose took over as Bulldogs CEO in 2002 and has been an important figure in turning around the club's financial fortunes.

He has been heavily involved in securing backing for the multi-million dollar redevelopment of the Bulldogs' Whitten Oval headquarters in Melbourne's western suburbs.

"He (Liberatore) frankly would not have a clue and for him to come out with his uninformed comments ... he doesn't know his facts," Smorgon told Melbourne radio station SEN.

"I don't think Tony has any respect (at the Bulldogs).

"I know Tony's pissed off because he's applied for coaching jobs and he hasn't got them because his credentials don't stack up against other candidates.

"I can also tell you he put in an application to be general manager of football would you believe on the day we were announcing James Fantasia got the job after a six-week headhunting search.

"This is the sort of calibre we have to put up with.

"I suggest you stick to coaching, stick to playing, stick to fighting - what you're known for."

Liberatore, now the coach of Sunbury in the Ballarat Football League, also put the heat on Bulldogs coach Eade to deliver on-field results.

"I truly believe the Bulldogs need to make the eight this year for Rodney Eade to survive. If they don't then he should move on," Liberatore said.

The row comes on the eve of the Bulldogs' opening pre-season competition match against North Melbourne in Darwin on Friday night.