The Bulldogs have gotten over their 62-point qualifying final loss to Collingwood and the mood at Whitten Oval on the eve of their semi-final clash with Sydney is upbeat, according to assistant coach Leon Cameron.

The NAB Cup premiers are odds on to fall out of the finals in straight sets on Saturday night, but Cameron warned the wounded Dogs had plenty of bite left.

"No doubt they (the players) have taken a hit over the last few weeks. I'd be lying to say they didn't," he said.

"But our mood is fine, we're raring to go, we've got a lot of work to do against Sydney who are in great form."

The Dogs have been decimated by injuries to senior players and, in search of a bit of an X-factor, they've plucked 19-year-old Andrew Hooper from the depths of their list for a cut-throat final at the MCG.

Despite being the first player in 25 years to debut in a semi-final, Cameron said Hooper had the playing style and physical attributes to perform well amid the pressure of making his debut in September.

At just 172 centimetres tall with a stocky build, Hooper has been dubbed a 'pocket dynamo' and was this week likened to a brick outhouse by senior coach Rodney Eade.

"He's a kid that's always stepped up to the plate all his life. He's been thrown into the deep end a number of times in finals unexpectedly (in his junior career)," Cameron said.

"He deserves to play and he's just got to go down there and give it his all. He has elite speed and he is a good kick for goal and has a good goal sense."

The Bulldogs' 25-man squad trained in windy conditions on Friday at Whitten Oval. That included skipper Brad Johnson, who is under fire for both fitness and form, and emergencies Josh Hill, Brodie Moles and Andrejs Everitt.

Meanwhile defender Dale Morris, who was written off for 2010 after fracturing his back in the Dogs' Round 21 loss to the Swans, is an outside chance of returning for a potential preliminary final.

"He's surprised us a little bit over the last week and a half to two weeks," Cameron said.

"That's lifted the spirits around the place as well. He trained today and he's been running a fair bit so he's a huge chance to play next week, but we've got to get over tomorrow night first."

He also denied rumors he is set to leave the Bulldogs to join Hawthorn as an assistant coach to Alastair Clarkson.

"It's just another innuendo story that's floating around," he said.

"People just make up stories to try and pull things apart."