Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says the historical rivalry between his club and GWS won’t be too much of a theme ahead of the weekend’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round clash at ENGIE Stadium.

While the Bulldogs and Giants have played in some iconic matches, Beveridge said the current make-up of his playing group probably won’t have that connection.

“There’s been plenty of colour in the rivalry – there’s been some great games between our two clubs, and maybe even some personal rivalry at times,” Beveridge told media on Thursday.

“It’s an interesting exercise as a coach when you come to these games, because you keep thinking about what are contemporaries?

“The young guys, and even the boys who have been here for a while, what do they really think these days about these rivalries? Do they get caught up in some of the history or is it more the present and the future at the forefront of their mind?

“I think it’s probably the latter. As far as building it up to be anything that it isn’t, we don’t ever do that.”

Beveridge said all the energy will instead go into what his team needs to do to win.

“I know we are 4-5, but I think the main word that people keep using for us is ‘inconsistent’. We wear that and it’s something that we’re applying to ourselves to change,” he said.

“We play like a team that you'd want to support when we're when we're playing well - we can score heavily when we're at our best, we can defend well. We want to do both of those more consistently.

“That’s what the players and coaches are all talking about. Now we’ve got another challenge in front of us, to see if we can execute that.

“We’ve had challenges already (this season) and haven’t been able to overcome them, so I suppose that’s main thing when we go into the GWS game...we haven’t been able to jump a steeple like them in recent times. It’s another great opportunity to test ourselves.

“Obviously it's the first of the two Sir Doug Nicholls Rounds, which is a celebration in itself. Both clubs will be wearing their Indigenous jerseys which is a different level of colour and creativity which I think the players will enjoy.

“No doubt, to go and play them at their home ground – which they haven’t been able to play on for a little while – they’ll enjoy being back on that. It’ll be great.

“I suppose the outcome for us to be able to really challenge them and pull off a win. They’ve become a really powerful and influential side, and so they’re a team to be measured on.”

Beveridge also paid tribute to youngster Aiden O’Driscoll, who was medically retired earlier this week.

“It's heartbreaking when you consider a young fellow with the AFL world at his feet - he gets drafted to an AFL club, full of promise, and even won our time trial,” Beveridge said.

“He's an outstanding young player and athlete, and just in a training session had a heavy knock in January.

“Ever since then he hadn't been training with the group while waiting for independent assessment from the (concussion) panel...it took a little while to happen, but he got the advice that he needed to hang up the boots.

“It’s just really heartbreaking for him, his family and everyone here as well.

“It’s a reminder too...footy is not forever. It can finish pretty quickly and be quite tragic in regard to Aiden’s circumstances.

“We reminded him that we’re here to support him on his pathway now, and that he’s going to confront new challenges in what he does vocationally.”

The Bulldogs will reveal their Round 10 team at 6.20pm AEST tonight.