The Western Bulldogs' heartbreaking injuries have helped them to gel together as a group and tough out each game until the end, according to Liam Picken.
It is a quality that should stand them in good stead when they play North Melbourne next week at Etihad Stadium, an important game for both teams as they cling to their places in the top eight.
After their loss to Geelong, in which Tom Liberatore and Jack Macrae came off the ground with injuries, Picken said the Bulldogs would turn their focus to taking on the Kangaroos.
"They've got a lot of experienced players, it's a very even side and they're always tough play against," he said.
A week before, Mitch Wallis was screaming in pain as his Western Bulldogs' teammates returned to their rooms after the match against St Kilda.
The midfielder's leg was broken and captain Bob Murphy, himself out with a knee injury, was sobbing.
Coach Luke Beveridge even teared up at a press conference during the week when talking about Wallis and Jack Redpath, who was headed towards his third knee reconstruction.
After their 25-point loss at Simonds Stadium on Friday night, no one cried, but the players were clearly spent.
The Bulldogs had fought it out and found opportunities where they could, but they were outclassed by the Cats, particularly in front of goal.
Beveridge said the tough Liberatore would not necessarily miss the rest of the season, but nor did he seem particularly hopeful about his return.
Despite notching up 26 possessions, half of them contested, Picken did not rate his own performance highly, saying he would have liked to make more of an impact on the match.
With the polite diplomacy of the modern footballer, Picken said the Western Bulldogs had been unlucky on Friday night.
"We've had a few injuries, but the guys who have come in have done really well," he said.
"Hopefully we'll get a couple of guys back next week, so we might lose a couple, but we'll worry about that during the week."
The Bulldogs have showcased a depth of talent this year as one after the other, senior players have been injured.
Recent losses suggest they may finally be coming to an end of their talent pool, but Picken said there were some good players in the VFL that the Dogs could call on for next week.
"We've got a really strong VFL side, really strong depth, so there's plenty of guys waiting to come in," he said.
North Melbourne has one of the oldest and most experienced sides in the league and the Bulldog will again lack height.
But with the Bulldogs roundly admired for their courage and fight, Picken said it came from the strong sense of togetherness among the players.
"When you see your teammates go through what they did, and in so much pain, it's heartbreaking to see that, you spend your whole week and your whole year with your teammates," he said.
"We moved on, we obviously don't forget them but we look forward to the next challenge coming up."
