THE DEMORALISING final round loss to Greater Western Sydney sparked the Western Bulldogs into dealing with issues festering at the club.

 

The six-point defeat in Daniel Giansiracusa's last game raised many questions about the overall direction of the team.

 

Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said on Tuesday the club decided to meet any problems head on and, in his words, "embrace the opportunity" the loss presented.

 

It has led to the club putting in programs to support and further develop its coaching staff, including senior coach Brendan McCartney.

"We have been through a period where we have asked each other hard questions and we have asked hard questions of ourselves as well," Gordon said. 

"It's largely being a very constructive process and I think you will find in 2015, we will emerge stronger from it."

 

AFL.com.au understands several senior players met with Gordon in the weeks before the Grand Final to discuss matters relating to club's performance.

Gordon claimed that McCartney's position was never under question but admitted everyone at the club was dissatisfied with the win-loss ratio of 7 wins, 15 losses.

 

He said it was time for everyone at the club to "embrace the struggle" and that it had tried to get an honest conversation going.

 

McCartney is contracted until the end of 2016 and has a winning percentage of 32 per cent in his first three seasons.

 

The Dogs lost five of their last six games of the season to finish with seven wins for the second year in succession. 

 

"What are the things that could have worked better if we had thought about it harder, if we had worked on it harder or if we communicated better with each other?" were the questions Gordon posed on Tuesday. 

"The more we can do that going into the future, the better we will be."

 

The Bulldogs lost Shaun Higgins to North Melbourne as a free agent and Liam Jones and Jason Tutt have asked to be traded to Carlton.

 

However they could enter the NAB AFL Draft with three picks inside the top 30, depending on what eventuates during the trade period.

 

"It's the responsibility of all of us from the president down to ensure that performance improves," Gordon said.

 

The Bulldogs launched a new logo on Tuesday that sees the full-bodied Bulldog return for the first time since the 1980s.