Collaboration between players and coaching staff has helped shape a training program aimed at bringing on-field improvement for the Western Bulldogs in 2013.

Speaking to the Herald Sun, Bulldogs young big man Ayce Cordy said senior coach Brendan McCartney and his team had delivered a program tailored to address identified shortcomings from the season past.

"At the end of the season we had a big meeting about the biggest areas of improvement we need to find to move our way up the ladder,” said Cordy.

One area identified was the side’s ability to compete for four quarters.

"So we had a big focus on not just running extra - although we have done a bit more running thus far - but also being able to be competitive, especially with hardball gets late in quarters when you're fatigued.

With eight new faces on the Bulldogs list after the trade and draft period, bonding as a playing group has also been important.

"There are a lot of young guys that we need to get right with each other and get their chemistry up, so we've had a bit of time for that, which has been spot-on."

While pundits have already begun leveling expectations of the Bulldogs’ for season 2013, internally that hasn’t been the case.

"We're certainly not going to put a ceiling on our heads…it's not going to be like that at all," Cordy said.

"But at the same time, we've been through all the numbers as a playing group and we realise that we were a fair way off the mark in a few different areas and those areas have to improve.

"…hopefully in a lot of key performance indicators we can move right up in to the top eight.

"We just want to be a competitive football team that's very hard to play against."