There has been an emphasis on education under Senior Coach Brendan McCartney and while the Western Bulldogs are out of finals contention, there is still plenty more to learn.

“You can take a lot out of every game you play in,” McCartney said.

“We have probably been as consistent as anyone… as a club about the direction we are taking and how we want to go about it.

“[We are] continually modifying and adapting our team – that process won’t change for us.”

The consistent approach is paying off for the Bulldogs, as they have backed up with a number of strong performances recently, including wins against West Coast Eagles and Carlton.

The increased intensity around the contest signifies McCartney’s physical brand of football is becoming second nature at Whitten Oval.

Better ball movement and forward line function has also contributed to the team’s growing confidence.

“[We have seen] a lot of improvements, probably in some areas we have been chipping away at for a while,” he said.

“It’s an interesting time of year… sometimes momentum changes from club to club when you get later in the season.

“At the moment we have a good balance of how we are playing, our team is quite stable, I think our players are in a good level of confidence.”

Recent form suggests the Bulldogs are well placed for their final three matches against Adelaide (12^th), Brisbane Lions (13^th) and Melbourne (17^th), as they aim to carry momentum into the pre-season.

“We are really positive about getting the best results that we can in the next three weeks,” he said.

“That is no guarantee that it delivers you wins or improved performances next year, you have to start again in the pre-season and build on what we’ve done.”