It's an all-important game for the Dogs when they take on the Kangaroos on Thursday night at Marvel Stadium.

Joining the AFL 360 panel earlier this week, midfielder Ed Richards spoke of the belief amongst the playing group and their desire to finish the season strongly ahead of a potential finals berth.

On resting players:

"I’m feeling pretty good, along with a lot of the other boys we have been managed pretty well over the last few weeks just with tapering off training loads and really prepping for game day. 

"Every team deals with this type of stuff throughout the year so that's just something we’re navigating at the moment but yeah, another six-dayer coming into North on Thursday.

"I’m keen to play every round that I can in order to be right for these types of games and I don't think we can afford to be resting our good players going into these last three. 

"We’re looking to win them all and hopefully snag a spot in the top six which would be ideal. 

"I don't think we’ll be looking to rest players for the wildcard round, that might be up to the medical team." 

On his own consistency: 

"I guess I'd like it to be less fleeting than it is at times, I've probably struggled with consistency throughout this year.

"I would've liked to have been more consistent against some better opposition as well.

"You want to play your best footy against the best teams and prove that you can be a strong player for your team and stand up in those big moments … which I can hopefully continue in the last three. "

On the team’s place in the competition

"I think we’re placed fine.

"I think everyone's got a lot to say about where the Dogs are sitting at the moment (but) there’s a lot of positivity around our football club that we can do some damage in finals and I think that's the way you’ve got to be. 

"You can't submit if you’re around the mark, you’ve got to be positive and you’ve got to be pushing for that ultimate glory, all the teams are striving for that success and we’re one of them. We’re definitely not going to take a back seat, that's for sure. 

"There is a reality to the way we’ve been going about it, we haven't been able to score as well as we would have liked.

"I thought we've been defending well but maybe that's taken away from some of our offence so these are all things we’ve been going through as a team and I think we’re looking forward to the last three games. 

"Hopefully we can show the competition what we’re really about."