THE WESTERN Bulldogs believe they have put their disappointing loss to the Brisbane Lions well and truly behind them after an honest and open team meeting on Monday.

The Dogs have endured a difficult five weeks of football but assistant coach Peter Dean believes the players remain positive following a few days of soul-searching.

"We've got a really good group and they were devastated after Saturday night's game, and in the rooms, and to a degree on Monday," Dean said at Whitten Oval on Wednesday.

"On Monday afternoon there are a couple of things the players do among themselves and their spirits are high again.

"They copped a little bit of a battering in the team meeting, which is to be expected from a side that has lost, but they are positive again.

"You'll see the boys come out today and they'll be as positive as they can be, and they'll be jumping out of their skins, basically."

Dean said the club isn't overly concerned about the slump that has produced just one win from their past five starts, but conceded the side must beat the injury-laden Bombers this Friday night.

"We've been playing three good quarters and in patches over the course of the games; we just haven't been able to finish it off," he said.

"Essendon is decimated, I suppose, but I can guarantee that Essendon will put out 22 players on the field and they'll be having a red-hot go. That's the nature of the Essendon footy club.

"We do need to win it. We probably go into the game as favourites, but we're going to go into it with an underdog attitude where we need to win this game."

Dean said the club will be expecting a consistent attitude from its players this Friday night, following their lapsing performances in previous rounds.

"We've got the confidence in our players and we think with just a few minor tweaks and adjustments in their attitude, that we can get the results we have been earlier in the year," he said.

Dean added that was yet to see veteran Scott West since the 33-year-old made his return to football on the weekend in the VFL, but said the "old warhorse" is still a chance to return from his ongoing battle with soreness before the Dogs' finals campaign.

And young defender Tom Williams is on track to return to the side in round 22, after sitting out senior football since round 13 with shoulder and thigh problems.

"Tommy won't play this week, he'll play the following week barring any setbacks," Dean said.

"He's a picture of fitness and he's probably like (St Kilda's) Justin Koschitzke for us. He just can't get on the track at the moment.

"But he'll be out there next week and we've got our fingers crossed that he'll be well and we know he'll do well.

"He always gives 100 per cent when he's out there on the track."