BULLDOGS coach Luke Beveridge believes his team has all the ingredients to return to its best, despite registering an eighth loss in nine games against West Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday. 

Beveridge’s men were plucky early and slammed home the first two goals of the game before conceding the next seven, on their way to a 54-point defeat.

The Dogs were ultimately let down by fundamental skill errors, a factor that has plagued their season. 

EAGLES ROCK Full match coverage and stats

Speaking post-match, Beveridge voiced his faith in the club’s potential to turn around its fortunes quickly. 

“At some point the wheel will turn,” Beveridge said. 

“We don’t want to play the long game and rise again. 

“We’re trying to build some foundations for the future and we want things to happen rapidly and we don’t want to be finishing every week … on the end of a nine or 10 goal (loss).

“Regardless of the injury toll, we feel like the 22 we put out each week are more than capable and we felt that again today, but we fell well short.”

EAGLE'S NERVOUS WAIT Five talking points

Beveridge was left to lament a number of crucial turnovers on the counter-attack, as his players struggled to adapt to fluky conditions in Perth.

“Probably in that third quarter we had some opportunities in open space to connect and make the most of some open play, but our skills weren’t good enough and that frustrates,” he said. 

“You can’t afford to do that against anyone, let alone the second side on the ladder.

“We got off to a promising start and then a sloppy tackle here and a fumble there and we let the Eagles back in. 

“We found it hard to recover. We had to move things around a bit just to stop their momentum. 

“The players hung in there even though we lost a couple to injury. 

WATCH Luke Beveridge's full post-match media conference

Luke Dahlhaus will miss at least one match with a syndesmosis injury, sustained after his leg was caught underneath a tackle by big-bodied midfielder Elliot Yeo.

Mitch Honeychurch has been kept in Perth overnight amid fears he suffered a neck injury from a high bump by West Coast skipper Shannon Hurn. 

The club is expecting to welcome back superstar midfielder Marcus Bontempelli after surgery to remove his appendix.