WESTERN Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney continues to remain calm and focused despite his team's average losing margin over the past eight games ballooning to almost 60 points.

Since defeating Port Adelaide in round 12, the Bulldogs have lost by margins of 58 points (Brisbane Lions), 84 (Essendon), 38 (Fremantle), 72 (Hawthorn), 18 (Carlton), 76 (St Kilda), 54 (North Melbourne) and 70 (Richmond).

Watch Brendan McCartney and Daniel Giansiracusa's post match press conference in full on the media player above.

The Bulldogs drew within six points of Richmond half-way through the third quarter at the MCG on Sunday but could manage only one more goal as Richmond careered away to its 70-point victory.

The match continued a galling trend for the Bulldogs of falling away badly.

McCartney said, as he has many times this season, that he's rebuilding the team from the ground up.

The club has a plan to draft in young talent and he's teaching the players a brand of football that he believes offers the best chance of success.

"We will keep drafting and developing the right type of player — players who want to work together, work for each other," McCartney said.

McCartney said the incident in which midfielder Tom Liberatore was suspended until the end of the season over an illicit drugs incident had had no effect on his team.

"Nor should it," he said. "What we did today, we provided the opportunity for other players to come in and show us what they've got.

"That's what good clubs should do. We develop our players and we look after them and nurture them."

Lin Jong and Fletcher Roberts made their debuts against Richmond.

Michael Talia and Jason Johannisen made their debuts against North Melbourne last week, and both played against the Tigers.

Veteran forward Daniel Giansiracusa said the Bulldogs had let themselves down with their performance against the Tigers.

"A few of us lost crucial contests at critical times of the game and we've got to be better than that," Giansiracusa said.

"The playing group's got to be better at hanging in.

"We'll go back to the drawing board tomorrow and work on it during the week and, as 'Macca' said, we just want to see continual improvement."