WESTERN Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney acknowledges his side faces a huge challenge in overcoming yet another six-day break before Friday night's clash with his old club Geelong - but believes the Dogs' pattern of short breaks has equipped them with the mechanisms to cope.
The Bulldogs defeated Gold Coast by 38 points at steamy TIO Stadium in Darwin on Saturday night and not only face an abbreviated preparation but a stark change in climate.
Watch Brendan McCartney & Ryan Griffen's post-match press conference on the media player above, or on the Club Mobile App.
Asked how the Bulldogs would prepare for the Geelong clash, McCartney volunteered: "The same as we have with all our six-day breaks. This is our fifth in eight weeks which is a challenge, but it has also meant that we've been able to get our systems right.
"Our physical conditioning people will do it and we'll manage the players. And (with) no injuries out of tonight at this stage, we'll deal with it."
However, McCartney was adamant he didn’t want to be portrayed as aggrieved over the Bulldogs' fixture predicament.
Pressed on the significance of six-day breaks, he said: "They are (significant). It depends (on) what the other team's got. But I don’t want the football world thinking we're sooking about it. It is what it is.
"We're not spending too much time dwelling on it and worrying about changing it; we're spending more time changing how we view it and see it and deal with it.
"It's probably going to be pretty important for a lot of our young players, and they’re learning to get through it."
McCartney, who spent a decade as an assistant coach to Mark Thompson at Geelong before joining Essendon at the end of 2009, said the Bulldogs would plan for the Cats just like any other opponent, regardless of his intimate knowledge of key players.
"I've been out of the club for a while and things do change, but they still look to be doing a lot right to me," he said of his former club.
The Bulldogs have won four of their past five games and, remarkably, have the chance to go a game clear of Geelong. But, as always, McCartney was doing his best to play down his team's progress.
"All we’re going to worry about is Monday and next week," he said. "The second we think about more than that we're falling for the oldest trap in football, and that's getting ahead of yourself, and worrying about what you might do.
"This competition isn’t Christmas Day - you can't wish for things; you've just got to get after the next game."
McCartney acknowledged the Suns' efforts and noted that in the first half the Dogs had often been second to the ball, "too cute" when they had it and hadn't devote enough energy to defence. But he was pleased they had "found a way".
"It's not pretty sometimes, but if it keep getting us results, well, we'll keep at it," he said.
