WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is "optimistic" midfielder Tom Liberatore has avoided ligament damage despite a right knee injury ending his night in the second quarter.

Club officials are also confident the setback is unrelated to the reconstruction on the same joint in early 2018.

Liberatore pulled up sore after chasing Carlton's Kade Simpson midway through the second term and immediately limped to the bench and down the race.

DOGS SURVIVE SCARE Full match coverage and stats

He reappeared on the bench minutes later without any strapping or ice on his right knee, but he was iced up at half-time.

The Dogs had to twice see off Blues rallies after leading by 34 points in the second quarter – briefly losing the lead in the third term – and again halfway through the final term before holding on by three points.

"He jarred it and we're optimistic he hasn't damaged any of the ligaments, so he will have a scan and we'll give you more on that when we get the detail," Beveridge said of Liberatore.

"There's a little bit of concern there might be some cartilage damage from the jarring but once we get the results back of the scan, we'll feed that through.

"You lose that experience, and then you're asking Bailey Smith (to step up), and we're really pleased with Pat Lipinski tonight and we felt like he played his best game for the club and really broke out.

"You're asking younger guys to take on a bit more responsibility and they'll apply themselves but it's probably not the same as a player of Tom's ilk, especially at the source."

WATCH Luke Beveridge's full post-match press conference

Beveridge sold a positive post-match message after the escape, content with his players' improved performance when the game became close before three-quarter time.

The victory improved the Dogs' record to 5-7, but the 2016 premiership coach said his side was still "a mile away from finals" and September was "the farthest thing from my mind".

"I'm just really proud of the way they stuck at it. We became pretty unstable when we lost 'Libba' and they came with a rush," Beveridge said.

WATCH The last two minutes

"They've got some threats, and the centre-bounce stuff really went in their favour for a fair period of that (third term).

"There was a critical moment at the end of the third quarter, where Lachie Hunter smothered that ball out on that half-back flank and I just thought it was a really inspirational act.

"From that point on we started to get our stuff together. At three-quarter time, we'd got our noses back in front, and we haven't always, especially this year, been that sound in these close games, so the way the boys pulsed and got that margin was terrific."

Beveridge praised midfielders Josh Dunkley (career-high 41 disposals) and Jack Macrae – who dulled Patrick Cripps' influence for much of the game – as well as defender Jackson Trengove.

Trengove and mid-season draftee Ryan Gardner were the two tall additions to the Bulldogs' line-up since their round five loss to Carlton.

"If our pressure game is at the pointy end and our energy is sustained for the game; we can get away with a smaller forward line and a smaller backline," Beveridge said.

"But as soon as that drops away you're quite vulnerable, and that hurt us last time against Carlton, whereas we got away with it against Sydney and Hawthorn in the early rounds.

"You've just got to keep picking your side based on who you think is ready and who deserves it and base your plans around them, but I think aerially down back Jack Trengove's made a bit of a difference."