Missing patches of the 2018 season through injury gave Western Bulldogs captain Easton Wood the ability to view the year with a fresh perspective.

Wood played 12 games in 2018, restricted by a hamstring injury, but admits the time off enabled him to gain a greater perspective of the bigger picture – including the development of the Dogs’ youth.

“With it being a challenging year and when finals are out of the picture, particularly with a young group, it is hard to try and find those hooks to motivate the group,” Wood told westernbulldogs.com.au.

“I was just so proud of the way the boys thought ‘we’re out of finals but we’re not just playing for this year, we’re playing for next year and the year after and we’re playing to be the best that we can’.”

The Bulldogs won three of their last four games and took it to minor premiers Richmond in Round 23, falling just three points short.

“It was great to see them finish off the year the way they did.  I was incredibly proud,” he said.

Wood, who badly injured his hamstring in Round 13, was initially in doubt to return before the end of the season, but worked tirelessly to ensure he returned to full fitness, even if it meant only playing the final game or two.

“I thought it was really important for me to push to come back and play the last couple of games. Even if I didn’t progress, I still wanted to come in with the attitude each day that I was going to play,” he said.

“I tried to be as consistent as possible in the way that I came in each day.  There are going to be times when things are great and when things aren’t so great, so I wanted to try and show that even when things weren’t great for me, I still came in with the same attitude and the same appetite and attacked training in the same manner.

“I was pleased that I was able to do that, and it was just great to get back for a couple of games and finish off strongly.”

Wood said there was plenty to gain from the Dogs’ last month of football.

“The guys have got a taste of it and they know what it takes,” he said.

“It does leave a mark in their memory of that’s what it took, and we can build on that - keep doing more and keep striving to improve.

“That’s why I’m so excited about the way we finished off the year and what that’ll mean going forward.”