For the fans, it's about McCartney's conviction that while patience is needed, better times are coming.
To the players, it encapsulates the Dogs' chief ambition this year - be better for longer. That counts for individual matches and the whole season.
The Dogs won five of their first 11 games last year.
But they lost their last 11, most of them thrashings, with the dam generally bursting in the second half.
The Bulldogs' first pre-season under McCartney emphasised strength work and game-learning.
This time there's been more running. Improved fitness measurements indicate it's helping.
But like everything with an inexperienced squad, it's incremental - a fact highlighted by the club's 109-point NAB Cup thrashing at the hands of Fremantle last Saturday night.
"There's only so much work you can do with a very young group of players before they fall apart on you," McCartney said.
To accelerate the process the Dogs added some experience, recruiting Nick Lower (from Fremantle), Tom Young (Collingwood) and Koby Stevens (West Coast), all 25 or younger and with fewer than 50 AFL games' experience.
They also rookie-drafted Adam Goodes' 29-year-old brother Brett from the VFL.
"They do add some body strength and physical strength," McCartney said.
"What we found last year towards the end of the year was, we were probably subjecting some really young players to positions they weren't ready for."
The Dogs also snaffled some bright draft prospects, although they're unlikely to make a great difference immediately.
But one area McCartney wants quick improvement is with his key forwards.
The two most promising, Liam Jones and Ayce Cordy, were inconsistent and managed just 17 goals between them last season, while another prospect Jordan Roughead was moved to defence.
McCartney acknowledged the team's delivery wasn't great and that big men can develop slowly.
"Time ticks though," he said.
"There is an expectation that they have themselves and we have with them that they will produce more.
"The game doesn't wait too long."
Robert Murphy will spend more time in attack, to add polish.
There's no such frustration about the Dogs' young midfielders.
Experienced guns Matthew Boyd and Ryan Griffen are backed by Mitch Wallis, Tom Liberatore and Clay Smith, an emerging trio who have already shown plenty.
They're the kind of tough, contested ball-winners McCartney loves.
They spent much of last year shadowing the game's best players, with McCartney determined to get the defensive aspects of their games locked in.
This season they're expected to not only match those players for longer but hurt them with attack.
"Step two is learning 'I can actually attack at times too and get away from these blokes and make them defend'," McCartney said.
An inexperienced Dogs' defence has become even more so after losing Brian Lake and Ryan Hargrave.
The return of stalwart Dale Morris from severe leg injuries will help enormously, though.
Morris amazed McCartney by immediately throwing himself into danger on return to training.
Equally impressive was his instant impact returning to the field this pre-season, blanketing opponents and encouraging teammates.
"Teammates like that are worth their weight in gold because they don't make it about them," McCartney said.
But while confident the pieces are coming together, McCartney warns supporters there's no quick fix.
"A little bit of time, a little bit of patience, a little bit of understanding - hang in there with us," he said.
