The Western Bulldogs now face a major challenge to make the finals in 2017

BY this time Sunday, the Western Bulldogs could be outside the top eight. How has it all gone so wrong for a team that was on top of the world last year?

Rory Lobb and Lewis Young clash at Etihad Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

BY this time tomorrow, the Western Bulldogs could be outside the top eight.

The reigning premiers are fighting to keep their flag defence alive, but now need to win both of their remaining games — against Port Adelaide in Ballarat and then Hawthorn at the MCG — to stay afloat.

And even then results around them could need to play to their favour.

Whichever team wins tomorrow’s clash between Melbourne and St Kilda could leapfrog the Dogs, with West Coast and Essendon also looking for wins to overtake the reigning premiers.

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They’ve shot out to odds of $51 with TAB to win the flag — long by anyone’s standards.

But gun midfielder Marcus Bontempelli is one who has admitted frustration in the Bulldogs’ current plight, but is firm in maintaining the faith.

“For all of us, it’s frustrating to be honest,” he said today.

“We have set ourselves a standard. The way we have to look at it is that we weren’t the best team all year last year. We still had periods of growth and setbacks and that’s probably what made the difference at times, that we were able to find our way back from those positions.

Robert Murphy leaves the field after last night’s loss. Picture: Getty Images

If you isolate it to that last four weeks of the year, that’s probably the hardest thing in football — to reincarnate that four weeks.

“That’s probably where it’s at for us. We’ve compared too much of that four weeks and trying to get it exactly right, and that’s where the frustration comes. There’s an understanding that we still have a lot of growth as a team (to do) and despite that finals series, we have a long way to go in terms of achieving what we want.

“I think that gives you a bit of perspective. There’s a long way for us to go until we can be a team that consistently backs up. Frustration at times, but … the positivity is always at the forefront and we have to continue to surge forward.”

Last night’s Dogs outfit featured none of the back six that played in the victorious Grand Final last year.

Dale Morris suffered a broken wrist against Gold Coast in Round 18 and could return this week, Easton Wood injured his hamstring last week, Jason Johannisen has missed two games with a hamstring complaint, Matthew Boyd is battling a “grumbly achilles”, Fletcher Roberts was named an emergency against the Giants and Joel Hamling departed for Fremantle last off-season.

They rolled the dice with a smaller backline and it battled to have an impact against the rampant Giants forwards who at one stage piled on eight unanswered goals.

But Bontempelli said the suggestion that questions need to be asked is — with two home and away rounds remaining — premature.

“I think that’s a process that needs to be done at the end of the year,” he said on SEN.

“We’ve got a couple of weeks to go so the outlook from us is that we can still make something — and make a lot — from the rest of this season.

“For me to scan forward that far and to almost dismiss the next couple of weeks would be remiss of me.

“We have to maintain our outlook of heading forward and continuing to make a bolt towards this finals series.”

Western Bulldogs players leave the ground after the club’s loss to GWS. Picture: Getty Images

Coach Luke Beveridge conceded a win against the Giants would have been a “handy leg-up” on ensuring September remained in the frame, and while he said Friday night “maybe” cost the team finals-wise, there is still hope.

“Maybe, but if we win the next two we’ll be pretty close,” he said.

“But yeah, (Friday night) would have been a pretty handy one just to give us that leg-up.”

So the wait is on in the west, as the Dogs hold out hope that things don’t go further south.

Originally published as The Western Bulldogs now face a major challenge to make the finals in 2017