The Western Bulldogs last night were overrun by a more experienced Fremantle team but Senior Coach Brendan McCartney says there are plenty of positives his young side can take from the game. 

The Bulldogs played on their terms against the premiership fancies in the second quarter, kicking five goals to one and dominating in close, but were outclassed in the final quarter by the Dockers.

McCartney rued some missed set shots, but said it was just as important for his team to set-up quickly and not let opponents score from the kick-in.

“They are a hardened, strong team and we have a way to go in that,” McCartney said.

“We gave up some pretty simple goals, we’d miss one and they would get one straight away straight up through the middle.

“That’s fixable – not overnight but it is something we can work on and get better at.

“There’s a lot to like but we would have liked to have finished closer or in front and that is our aim, irrespective of who we play, we want to win as many games as we can.”

The form and intent of the Bulldogs younger brigade was again on display last night, and McCartney applauded their selfless style of play.

“They are just a really eager batch of young people that want to get better and they want to be part of a really good team and want to be known as really good team people,” he said.

“We are getting a lot of depth in our club and that might mean a lot of evenness, but it will be a very competitive place to get a game and hold onto your spot which is a good foundation.

“We are really confident about the talent of our young players and once they emerge and develop and mature.”