THERE has been no discussion of tunnelling at the Bulldogs camp recently, and there isn't likely to be any soon as their No.1 defender remains unsure of what the tactic actually involves.

"That's the first I've heard of it," Brian Lake said on Wednesday.

"I started training pretty early this morning so I haven't read the paper yet, so I'll have a look and see what it's all about.

"I don't even know what the tactic is.

"I've heard of a few people having tunnel vision but not tunnelling. It's a bit weird."

Tunnelling sees a player upset the centre of gravity of his opponent while he flies for a mark, which can result in the airborne player crashing to the ground.

The Swans are currently under fire after St Kilda alleged they employed the tactic against Nick Riewoldt last Saturday night.

Lake, who played his first game for the year on Sunday afternoon under duress after contracting a case of gastro the day before, said he was pleased with the way he handled the match despite his illness.

He also said it's difficult to assess whether the game has become dangerously fast since players are at peak fitness so early in the season.

"It's hard to judge in round one, everyone is flying and fit, and the game is going to be quicker," he said.

"You're probably going to find out more in later rounds how the game is going. Guys are going to get niggles and injuries and the game is going to slow down a little bit and the weather is going to get worse, bar us because we play at Telstra Dome."

The Bulldogs meet Melbourne this Saturday afternoon at the MCG in a match that Lake expects will be furiously contested owing to the embarrassing 104-point loss the Demons were handed last week.

"They've had a bit of media coverage about their game, so it's going to be tough," he said.

"They're going to come out with all guns blazing in the first quarter to prove a few things wrong, and a few people wrong.

"It's going to be on in that first quarter and it's going to be tough, but I guess it's no different from round one when it was pretty tough for us. We had a pretty good hit-out, they didn't have one, and I guess our focus is just going hard at them as well."