The Western Bulldogs will be hoping the old adage rings true on Friday night when they tackle modern nemesis Greater Western Sydney.

The Luke Beveridge-led Bulldogs are languishing winless at the bottom of the AFL ladder after a lacklustre start to 2020.

Perhaps a grudge match is what's needed to spark the Doggies to life.

The rivalry has bubbled away since then Bulldogs skipper Ryan Griffen shifted to Greater Western Sydney in 2015.

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Throw in three separate altercations involving Giants antagonist Toby Greene - the latest of which left Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli with bruising around his right eye after last season's eliminational final - and you've a bit of heat.

Bontempelli said the fixture was as important as any as his club pursued its first triumph of the campaign.

"All games are important for us... there is clearly some history with GWS," he said.

"We've always looked forward to playing a part in those games.

"I think for us, the bigger focus now is how we can bring our best football and our best brand back to the fore.

"That's what we've been committed to do from as soon as the (Saints) game finished (on Sunday), working out the things we need to do better - obviously there's a couple of them - and trying to do it as quickly as possible."

Beveridge was also methodical but emphasised the need to play "hard footy" without distraction.

"The important thing is, when push comes to shove, you win the game of football," he said.

"It's too far in the revision mirror, the elimination (final). We've moved on and now it's all about us as a team finding our best football.

"Our team is a group that needs to find a four-quarter performance and it won't be happening through distraction or diverting our attention to something that isn't the core aspects of playing hard footy. "We'll go out on Friday night aiming to be as competitive and formidable as we can and that will be all about the game and the Sherrin and winning it."

The match begins at 7.50pm at Marvel Stadium.

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