Signs were positive in the Western Bulldogs clash against the Sydney Swans on Sunday, but honourable losses do not satisfy Senior Coach Brendan McCartney.

The Bulldogs showed they could win their fair share of the ball against Sydney, willing themselves into every contest and giving the reigning premiers little room to move.

But Sydney showed why they are the reigning premier when the game was in dispute – standing up in red time and pulling away to win the game by 35 points.

“We were pretty disappointed in our last 35 minutes though, it showed two things,” McCartney said.

“One, where we are at and how much work we’ve still got in front of us to be able to compete with those really strong powerful clubs.

“We just have to be stronger and more competitive, and when strong teams come at you structurally and physically, that you hang in there a bit longer.

“[There’s] a lot to like but a lot more to work on too.”

McCartney’s message has been consistent over the past 18 months, regardless of the weekend’s result and the review against Sydney did not stray from that.

“We haven’t moved too far away from them understanding what is helping them play well, that’s the key,” he said.

“At the same time it is also pointing out when you move away from that, this is what happens to the score board.”

While Coach McCartney is confident the Bulldogs are taking steps in the right direction, he refuses to become complacent or lose sight of the bigger picture.

“Internally we have been confident for a fair while that we are putting the right foundations in place and we are getting a little bit of reward,” he said.

“We don’t want too many accolades yet until we start winning more games, then you know you are really getting places in the competition – signs are positive.”