On Friday night's loss to Freo

In the end our defensive action and run wore us out and we couldn't do anything with the ball. Ultimately you play the game in the opposition's half when you don't use the ball well coming out of your back half and you definitely don't keep it in your front (half).

I've said before that as a group the one thing we're doing really well is we're defending together. I was really thrilled again with the application but ultimately Fremantle - as they have with other teams - wore us out.

I mean (scoring) 41 points, we've never been a team that's that low but this is where we're at. We've got to improve that to come again in the back end of this year.

On injuries

Big day (Tuesday), (Naughton and Weightman will) trot out on the track and hoping they can get through and be declared fit but it's touch and go at the moment.

You've got to make your adjustments and if we can hold on long enough and get (to finals) we might get our high defenders in Budarick and Dale back as well and that would be good timing.

Naughts in particular, we really struggled without that extra key in the west and he would have made a hell of a difference.

On the Bulldogs' run home

North were impressive against Hawthorn and didn't win, the Demons and we've got Carlton before Melbourne so we've got some huge challenges on our hands. We're looking to win every game.

My emotion after the game in Perth … we went over there expecting to not just be a competitor, we expected that we could win the game. That was my disappointment to see what happened on the offensive side of the game.

Against these next three teams, if we don't improve that we might not even make the top 10.

On team selection in Round 24

I think the main consideration for the teams who might be certainties to play a wildcard game heading into (Round 24) is the fact that the six teams above seventh have all got a week off.

So I'm sure within the ranks of the teams that are certainties you're processing who needs a week off, long season, who's pushed the envelope? We've just had (Aaron Naughton) and (Cody Weightman) come out of the (Fremantle) game not because we wanted them to but it would have been too hard for them to play over in Perth.

So if you're doing it this far out you're definitely doing it before the wildcard. I'd question how the AFL could question a club because you're questioning the medical department of that club if that happens.

We're all trying to win. No matter what happens you're going out to try to win that game. But common sense will prevail … you're not going to play an injured player but if you've got someone who's sore or a bit compromised and they're about 90% capacity but they're going to be 100 the next week, you probably need to make that call to hold them over to the next game.

We'll still operate as we always have and most of the players will want to play the game. You can't get in the road of that … I've never got anyone in a headlock and said you're not playing this week if they're at full capacity. We'll be guided by our medical staff more than anything.