A 22-point victory for the Western Bulldogs was made even more satisfying for Koby Stevens, taking the four points against his old side the West Coast Eagles on Sunday.

“Any win is a good win but especially against your old side, it makes it a bit sweeter,” Stevens said.

The 22-year-old has played more games in Bulldogs colours than in his three years at West Coast and the midfielder is grateful for his increased exposure to AFL football under Senior Coach Brendan McCartney.

“Macca has given me all the opportunities in the world this year and I thank him for that but I’ve just been improving every week,” he said.

Stevens said the Bulldogs more dynamic ball movement underpins the Club’s competitive performances recently, capitalising more frequently on the team’s hard work in and around the contest.

“We are not seeing as many lapses as we did in the first half and we are getting better use away from our contested footy,” he said.

“Our contested footy is second to none but it is about getting better use on the outside and we saw that today with our runners.”

A stronger emphasis on team defence has also contributed to the Bulldogs rise in form, defending the ground better and becoming harder to play against.

The increased pressure from the Bulldogs saw the Eagles only manufacture 11 scoring shots in the second half, despite 30 forward entries.

Alternatively the Bulldogs capitalised on their 25 inside 50s, resulting in 17 scoring shots after the main break.

“I think that’s where the improvement has come over the past month to six weeks,” he said.

“We are starting to defend the ground a lot better and everyone has got it in their head that mentality, to defend the ground and slow teams up.