Western Bulldog’s defender Dale Morris doesn’t take a moment as a Bulldog for granted, and after a long layoff, the 30-year-old approaches every game grinning from ear to ear and thankful he is still contributing.

“I’m loving it… It’s a great feeling to be back out there,” he told SEN 1116 yesterday.

To miss it for so long, I think every game I walk into the change rooms beforehand with a massive smile on my face and just can’t wait to get out there again.”

The Western Bulldogs hung in the game, when it looked like St Kilda were about to get a run on, which Morris said was due to everyone playing their respective roles for the team.

“This week the boys just kept fighting. St Kilda would get a bit of a lead and then we would just peg it back. It was a really good win by the boys and really good contribution from everyone”.

Morris said coach McCartney backed the players in to bounce back and play a full four quarters against the Saints, after a good week on the track and an honest review of the Gold Coast game.

“We have been in games for most of the year and not to be able to finish off the way that we would like, he [McCartney] has just been really focusing in on doing what we want to do for longer, to be able to finish off those games and get those wins.”