MARCUS Bontempelli is no certainty to return for the Western Bulldogs' round 24 clash with Melbourne after missing Sunday afternoon's dramatic draw with Carlton.

The captain was rested after carrying niggles this year, including an Achilles concern.

BULLDOGS v BLUES Full match coverage and stats

"He's just had a bit of a grumbly Achilles over recent times, so (it) seemed like the time was right, this one, just to give him a week off," Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said post-game.

"If it's still hanging around and we feel like another week will really help him prepare for the wildcard game, then we'll probably rest him again, give him another week to freshen up a bit. We'll see how we go.

"He'll definitely play before the year's out, hopefully he gets a run of games."

It was Beveridge's first draw as a coach – "even at St Bedes Mentone Tigers" - and offered an odd feeling but ultimately didn't mean a great deal in the context of the Dogs' run to finals.

But for Carlton, it secured a wildcard spot and locked up the top 10 with a round left to play. For interim coach Josh Fraser, the result bookends his experience leading the side, having kicked off his time at the helm with a win over the Bulldogs, and now having secured the post season in the draw.

The side was aware that a draw would get the job done, so went into 'save the game mode' in the final minutes, instead of turning on an attacking game to snag the four points.

"We've trained some scenarios a fair bit. Most sessions we're training scenarios, and then just the awareness that a draw was going to be enough for us. Again, for the players to be able to click into a mode of playing a certain way for that couple of minutes and execute that, I think they did a great job," Fraser said.

"I didn't love our game tonight; I thought so much credit should go to the Bulldogs the way they played and the way they challenged us. I thought they were amazing, really, and it forced us to play a different way, and we looked a bit clunky at different times, and (our) fundamentals weren't as clean as maybe what they've been."

There was one nervous moment late, a goal down, and camped inside 50, Francis Evans took a shot from 40m out toward an empty goal square. Empty, but for defender-turned-forward Wade Derksen, who on the goal line reached up to grab the footy and kick it through himself.

Initially deemed Derksen's goal, it was eventually changed to credit Evans, but it could have gone much worse for the Blues.

"I wasn't entirely sure what 'Derks' was doing, which I probably wasn't alone thinking that," Fraser said with a laugh.

"He's worth talking about, isn't he? Like, the change in role for him tonight, predominantly been back for us, and we wanted to get (Jacob Weitering) into the team and see what this looks like … but 'Derks' has to play a different role, so he was important."