DANIEL Giansiracusa hasn't given up hope of playing finals again, suggesting the Western Bulldogs could confound the critics by rebounding as soon as next season.

Giansiracusa - a 30-year-old veteran of 228 games - doubts he will play on when his contract expires at the end of next season, but remains optimistic about having one last crack at September.

Click here to view Giansiracusa's career stats

Such a meteoric rise might appear a little far-fetched considering the Dogs are 15th on the ladder after losing their past eight games by an average of 59 points under first-year coach Brendan McCartney.

But Giansiracusa rejects the notion that he and the other Bulldogs veterans are simply marking time, saying he is relishing his role as a teacher of the Dogs' growing batch of promising youngsters, who he feels are capable of sparking a "huge" turnaround in 2013.

"We knew it was going to take time under a new coach and with so many younger players coming into the side, but that doesn’t mean it can’t turn around quickly," he told westernbulldogs.com.au.

"While there's hope you’re always a chance, and I'll be doing my darndest to get us back into that position (of playing finals). I actually think we've got the ability to surprise people. It could start as soon as this week.

"And I really think we can make huge improvements next year. If that happens, who knows where that takes us.

"We don’t know how long it'll take - there's no real deadline - but we're trying to fast-track everyone so we can get back up where we want to be on the ladder.

"And I'm confident that what Brendan's teaching us is the right way to play footy and that it'll stand up when the group plays finals."

Though hopeful of a swift recovery, Giansiracusa is also realistic.

"We've gotten close (to a premiership) a few times and I suppose you think about it (finals) from time to time, but it's just reality that it's going to take time," he said.

"When you’re living in the moment and not only trying to make yourself a better player but help your younger teammates be better as well, that's pretty much your sole focus."

Giansiracusa said the demand for the club's older players to impart their knowledge - which McCartney had taken to "a new level" - had helped to narrow the focus.

"It's not just giving advice on the track; it's 'Let's watch our tape together,' or 'Let's go to the footy and watch a player from another team who does something well'," he said. "And that drives me. You've got to peel it right back and be a good teammate, as 'Macca' says. The funny thing is when you do that, you probably end up playing better yourself anyway because you're not so insular about your own game. It's footy karma, I suppose."

Giansiracusa is on target to win the first club goalkicking award of his 12-season AFL career. In 15 games he has contributed 25.13 (comfortably clear of Shaun Higgins and Tory Dickson, who are on 19 apiece). He has been held goalless just once.

"It's not a great tally," he admits. "Let's hope a few of us can get on the board a bit more because that's one of the things we've been lacking all season."

By season's end, Giansiracusa might also lead the Dogs in goal assists. He has 11, behind only Luke Dahlhaus (12), who is gone for the season.

Giansiracusa still trains hard but no longer does every session. Through necessity, he listens more to his body. His season has been hampered by a foot injury that benefited from a rest between rounds 13 and 17. Apart from that, his body "hasn’t been too bad".

He thinks his current contract will see him out, but hasn’t completely ruled out the prospect of playing into 2014.

"You take one game and one season at a time, and probably one pre-season more than anything because they’re quite demanding. But if the body feels good and there's a role for me, maybe I could," he said.

"I still love the game, still love training, and still love running out there with my teammates. It still gives me a real buzz. That's never left me, and hopefully it never does."

In a way, Giansiracusa hopes his spot in the side will come under pressure because "it will mean the club's going in the right direction and that we've got depth and people pushing up, which probably makes the older guys play better anyway".

Such thoughts take him back to the Bulldogs' most recent rebuild in the 2003-05 period under Peter Rohde and then Rodney Eade, when he was one of the club's most talented youngsters. Now he's at the other end of the spectrum.

"Us older guys … want to have as much success as we can [but] we also need to encourage and set standards for the young guys so that when we do eventually leave the place it'll be left in good hands."

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs.