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YOU COULD say Matt Suckling got out of Hawthorn at the right time, but he remains humbled by the success he's having at the kennel.

The Bulldogs' 23-point win over Hawthorn on Friday night ended Suckling's former club's dream of a fourth-consecutive flag.

"A little bit bittersweet, (I have) a lot of close mates at the Hawks," Suckling said at Whitten Oval on Saturday. 

"To see them devastated last night (is) a little bit hard but yeah very happy for myself and the Bulldogs and moving into a prelim."

The 28-year-old wouldn't go as far as saying the move was vindicated.

"Haven't really thought about that to be honest yet," he said.  

Suckling gingerly made his way into Bulldogs headquarters for recovery, admitting he's being troubled by an Achilles injury, but is in no doubt for next week's preliminary final against Greater Western Sydney.

"The Achilles, it's been sore for the second half of the year, but the longer breaks and the bye's probably helped it," he said.

Suckling moved to the Bulldogs as a free agent after winning his second premiership medal with the Hawks at the end of 2015.

He's played 17 games this season.

The Dogs travel to Sydney to play the Giants in a preliminary final at Spotless Stadium next Saturday.