WESTERN Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney says his side lost confidence with the ball under enormous pressure from West Coast.
But he was sure that his young charges could turn it around before taking on the Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The under-sized Bulldogs team was beaten by West Coast for contested possessions after looking a real threat during the first quarter of the match at Patersons Stadium.
But, as the game wore on, West Coast stepped up the pressure and caused turnovers almost at will.
"We did have a lot of possessions that didn't amount to a lot," McCartney said.
"A team that's confident with the ball will handball when there's people around them, they will kick when they've got a free person out or they will bang it in to a contest if they feel the pressure and not a great percentage of the game tonight did we get that balance right.
"A lot of that was due to their good work and we lost a little bit of confidence, clearly, with the ball and it's not the easiest thing to switch back on in the middle of a game. And they played it on their terms for most of the night. They were very good."
McCartney said Liam Jones and Ryan Griffen were both a chance to return to the side for Sunday's match against North Melbourne.
But he was pleased with the efforts of Jack Macrae and Lachie Hunter, both of whom made their debut last year.
"(They were) very good for two young players who actually think their way through a game,” he said.
"It’s not easy for a young player when the other team is on top and the crowd is really involved in the contest, to just keep playing the next contest bit by bit and they just showed they are going to be really good young players.
"We can't rely on them too much. Everyone needs to contribute, but they were terrific.”
McCartney said former Essendon player Stewart Crameri had provided another target up forward. He had suffered from cramping late in the match, but would be available for the North Melbourne game.
He also put the loss in contested possessions down to several factors, not just the efforts of West Coast's midfield brigade.
"It wasn't just putting your head down over the ball. It was a combination of factors. They have some fantastic ruckmen, who are very good at getting hands on ball. Structurally they were a little superior to us from the word go.
"They put some heat on our younger mids – that's part of them learning the game and dealing with the game."
