WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge concedes his young side is struggling to find the balance of retaining possession and time to attack.
A manic approach around the contest and putting immense pressure on the opposition were hallmarks of the 2016 premiership triumph, but the Bulldogs of 2018 are employing a less combative method and are mainly looking to retain the ball through uncontested possession.
This season the Dogs sit first in the AFL for uncontested possessions but are last in contested possession and tackling statistics.
While the new style of play has worked well at times for the AFL's youngest team, it fell apart against Fremantle last week, largely due to poor use by foot.
Speaking on Thursday morning, Beveridge said the players were learning to deal with how to navigate their way through different stages of a game.
"We need a happy balance between that uncontested-mark approach and when to go quick, so that's always a challenge for the players to work their way through the game," Beveridge said.
"It's not something that we want to do every week as far as our MO (modus operandi) goes, sometimes it’s adapted and suited to who is in the team and your mobility.
"Hopefully the boys are on top of their game a hell of a lot more than they were last week.
"We had opportunities early in the game last week to put some early pressure on if we used the footy well enough, but the execution of it was a little bit concerning.
"It was a bit of a head-scratcher to see the game unfold like that, but I don't think we could be that bad again."
The Dogs will get an injection of class for Friday night's clash with Carlton at Etihad Stadium, with Lachie Hunter (suspension) and Bailey Williams (ear infection) certainties to return.
Defensive playmaker Hayden Crozier is also available after a round one knee injury, but the former Docker could resume through the VFL.
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Asked if he was playing younger players over more experienced ones, Beveridge said the club's long injury list was forcing his hand at the selection table.
Second-year ruckman Tim English has played ahead of premiership big man Jordan Roughead in recent weeks, while exciting draftees Aaron Naughton and Ed Richards have been preferred to flag winners Shane Biggs and Fletcher Roberts in defence.
"We've got no definite intent to play young guys over some of our more experienced," Beveridge said.
"Clay (Smith), Tory (Dickson), 'Picko' (Liam Picken) and all these sorts of mainstays in our team that have got more experience aren't available, so they'll come back into the fold over the next month or two and hopefully put their name up in lights.
"Lachie Hunter and Bailey Williams will definitely come back in, who were probably our two best players over the previous two weeks and we missed them a little bit.
"Hayden Crozier is (also) available, so we'll formalise that today, and there will be a few boys that will make way."
