Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has lamented two “spirit-breaking” errors from his side in their 37-point loss to Fremantle on Friday night, after a promising first half of football.

The Bulldogs recorded their lowest final score (41) in over three years in the Round 21 clash, and saw them goalless for nearly 53 minutes across the second, third and fourth quarters.

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Their inability to pierce the Dockers’ defence saw them with players aplenty throughout their back half for the vast majority of the night; a consequence the 2016 premiership coach says wasn’t planned.

“We only had them back because Fremantle had territory, and we couldn’t in our front half. We didn’t plan to play like that,” Beveridge told journalists post-game.

“We’ve been a pretty reasonable team defensively in recent times … but they still scored from their forward 50 stoppages, so it wasn’t by design that we had saturation and numbers behind the ball.

“We wanted to press up at different times, and we didn’t get our execution right. We came here tonight to win the game; not to be safe or eliminate risk. But, we didn’t execute well enough.

“We fuelled Fremantle’s game, and we didn’t cope too well at the end of the game. It’s a disappointing night. You’re not going to win too many games with 41 points and below 40 entries.

Beveridge goes to address his players at the break during their Round 21 match against the Fremantle Dockers at Optus Stadium on July 31, 2026.Source: Getty Images

“The boys’ spirit for two-and-a-bit quarters was there … it’s a shame. I thought we’d push them a bit further than that.”

Gun forwards Aaron Naughton and Cody Weightman were managed for the trip west, leaving the underdogs depleted in attack whenever they did manage to gain territory.

Second-year player Cooper Hynes was excellent with two first-half goals and 22 disposals by full time, but was the visitors’ only multiple goalkicker on a tough night in front of the big sticks.

“We fumbled and didn’t kick the ball well in open field. We missed some targets and we rushed ourselves, so we couldn’t capitalise,” Beveridge said.

“The mix of our forward line was very different; it was quite unstable at times. So, the players who have played a bit of AFL football, who played in our forward line, we just needed a bit more.

“Lobby (Rory Lobb) was fighting the good fight giving us a target and a bit of aerial presence. But, we needed a bit more than that and we didn’t have it tonight.”

Lobb (left) celebrates a goal against his former side.Source: Getty Images

With their deficit just nine points as the three-quarter time siren approached, the Bulldogs looked a live chance of pulling off a very unlikely victory.

But two costly third-quarter errors that resulted in direct Fremantle goals swung the momentum of the match — a pair of moments the Bulldogs mastermind appreciated had a fair say on the final score.

“We were pretty good at holding ourselves together. We were coming, and it would’ve been nice … but, we didn’t get it. They were times when we should’ve made something of those opportunities,” Beveridge added.

“We haven’t been as fluent in those situations as we’d like to be, and the boys who haven’t handled them too well just need to improve. It’s a shame.”

The Bulldogs take on North Melbourne, Carlton and Melbourne in their final three fixtures of the home-and-away season, and face a six-day break for their Thursday night duel with the Kangaroos next week.