WESTERN Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade has shown faith in a return to form for captain Brad Johnson in Friday night's awaited semi-final against the Sydney Swans.

Johnson's impact was down in last week's 51-point loss to Hawthorn, finishing the match with 16 possessions and one goal, while his output in the sodden round-22 clash with Adelaide was also below his standard.

From rounds 17 to 21, the 32-year-old kicked 19 goals and averaged just under 20 touches – despite his side only winning two of those five games.

Though Eade acknowledged Johnson's struggles, he also considered the veteran's proven ability to respond.

"Brad has been down the last couple of weeks – he copped that bad knock in Adelaide (in round 22) where he had six staples in his head so that affected him and, like a lot of us, he was down last week," Eade said on Thursday.

"But you can't just point the finger at Brad.

"Brad has got a lot of pride and he has led the team very well this year so I would imagine he would bounce back as well."

The Bulldogs named Johnson at half-forward in Thursday night's team selections, with Scott Welsh in a forward pocket.

Eade had conceded that Welsh, a former Crow and a premiership player with North Melbourne in 1999, was scrutinised in selection discussions after a quiet evening against the Hawks and disappointing performances in earlier weeks.

However, he kicked five goals against the Swans in round 18 and adds 15 games of finals experience to the side – records clearly in his favour.

Eade added that the disappointment of defeat in the qualifying final hadn't dampened the preparations of Johnson, Welsh and their teammates.

"The way they trained yesterday and the way they've gone about it, I'm certainly expecting a very spirited performance," he said.