WESTERN Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade says Saturday's "honourable loss" to West Coast at Etihad Stadium is evidence his players have not given up on the season just yet.

The Bulldogs went down by eight points but not before they moved a goal in front at the 17-minute mark of the last quarter after trailing by 50 points early in the third.

The Dogs kicked 10 of the game's last 12 goals to push back against the Eagles, who had raced to the comprehensive lead by activating a smooth run-and-carry game, and simply keeping the ball away from their opponents.

Despite the fact the loss - the Dogs' third in a row after defeats by North Melbourne and the Sydney Swans - will leave the team 10 points adrift of the top eight should St Kilda beat Gold Coast, Eade said his players were still hungry.

"If their minds weren't right, if they'd thrown the towel in and there's no morale, when we're seven goals down, we'd lose by 17 [goals]," he said, after the game.

"But they didn't. They got in front, so I think that indicates they're a good group and they've got a fair bit of pride, they've got pride in the club, and they're hanging in there, and that's all we can ask at the moment."

Eade said he hadn't looked at the "permutations and combinations" of the Dogs' finals chances, and was simply pleased the players hadn't given up.

He also admitted if there was a "line-ball" call to be made at the selection table over the final month of play, a "kid" would get the call up in favour of an older player.

"It's out of our control and all we can do is win as many games as we can, and that's what I said four weeks ago," he said.

"I think we proved today we haven't put the cue in the rack. It could have easily gone from seven or eight [goals] down to really drift away.

"It showed there was a fair bit of spirit in the group. They've trained well, their morale's been good, they're working hard and we've just got to continue on in that vein for the next four games."

Eade praised the performance of skipper Matthew Boyd and the leadership of Robert Murphy and what their performance would have taught the team's younger players - including Luke Dahlhaus, who was solid with his "second and third efforts".

He said the Dogs had been "shell-shocked" in the first half when they fell in to the massive margin by the early stages of the third quarter, but the eight changes made to last week's line up weren't to blame.

Instead, he said it was more about the Eagles' dominance and fact his midfielders couldn't get their hands on the ball.

"After the 20-minute mark of the first quarter until half-time, most of our indicators we won, tackling we probably didn't, but everything else," he said.

"We started to arrest it a little bit. We didn't show some reward for effort, but I think we're hanging in there, which is pleasing.

"From our point of view, there were a lot of positives but we still didn't win. A little lack of composure in inappropriate times in the last quarter hurt us."

The Eagles regained the lead with seven minutes to go in the last quarter when Liam Picken was penalised for holding Jack Darling, who went on to kick a goal.

Eade said the decision was "a bit dubious" and could contact the AFL over the decision's interpretation this week.

"I was watching the incident but I didn't see the free kick," he said.

"Whether I was blind, I don't know. We might have to get some clarification on that.

"We can't get it back. If it's wrong, it's wrong. That's it. It might have cost us the game but that's footy, it's the way it is and in a tight game like that, maybe you keep your whistle in your pocket.

"But that happens, and there were some things we needed to be better at, and [have] a bit of poise, and that last mark we should have been able to spoil as well."

The players will be given until Thursday off, owing to next weekend's bye, after which Eade believes Dale Morris - who was a late withdrawal with groin soreness - Adam Cooney and Shaun Higgins will be ready to return.

He admitted Cooney could be sent overseas at the season's end to seek advice on how best to manage his damaged knee.

Jennifer Witham covers Western Bulldogs' news for afl.com.au. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham.