Western Bulldogs skipper Easton Wood was hell-bent on returning to the AFL this season, even if it meant only playing the final game or two.

Wood returned from a hamstring injury against Carlton last weekend - an injury that had kept him sidelined since Round 13 - after a flawless rehab campaign.

“I feel good, I’m obviously still a bit sore but it was wonderful to get back on the weekend and to be fit again for this week,” Wood told westernbulldogs.com.au.

“If I’m fit, I’m not going to watch. It was great to be able to bring the timeline forward a bit and be confident coming back, and it was great to get through that game and have a win.

“Particularly as captain, the easiest way to influence and to lead is to do, and without playing it’s very difficult to do that. There’s only so much weight your words and your encouragement and your guidance can kind of have.

“I was really keen to get back and to take some pressure off a few of the other boys and to be out there and be part of it. That was hugely important.”

The Bulldogs have won three on the trot for the first time since May, after defeating the Blues by 17 points on Sunday.

“It’s really positive. It’s been a challenging year for us, so to be finishing off the season in a strong manner is just fantastic,” Wood said.

“With a young group you really look to see where that improvement is coming from. The boys have had a really good attitude to attack the back end of the year and we’ve really seen some growth, which is really promising for what’s ahead.”

The Bulldogs will be hoping to upset minor premiers Richmond in the final round of the home and away season at the MCG on Saturday, and Wood admits the match presents a good challenge for his side.

“They’re the yardstick of the competition at the moment,” he said.

“It’ll be great to see where we’re at and to be able to test what we’ve been doing, and what we’ve been growing and really improving this month, against the best.

“I’m really looking forward to that challenge on Saturday and it’ll be great to be out on the MCG too.”