As it happened: AFL 2021: Western Bulldogs beat GWS Giants but lose Dunkley, English

“It’s probably something we have got to look at. He is always putting himself in great position. He works so hard to get there. He is a wonderful player. Clearly you want a forward line with variety.

“I thought some of our other forwards probably had their first down night they have probably had for about three or four weeks. Clearly you want to come off if you are trying to score 12-15 goals a game. You want that spread hitting the scoreboard. We didn’t have that tonight.

“Toby will always give everything he has got. I probably look at it the other way. We need to add value in other areas. When you look at, I think we only had 43 inside 50s, so it wasn’t a lot. If we need to make sure that we are trying to pick the best option rather than one person, then no doubt it will be looked upon during the week.”

This game was slower than many others? Was that a tactic of yours?

“No doubt I think fatigue setting in a fair bit now. Unfortunately, we have got another hamstring injury with Nick Haynes. He hasn’t done a hamstring before in his life.

“The shorter pre-season is it getting hold of some players across the competition? I don’t know. When Haynes does a hamstring there is a little concern. There is no doubt it slowed up a bit.

“I think fatigue has hit. It’s that round six mark.

“The conditions are always interesting at night time. No doubt we tried to hold on to the footy to try to give us our best chance to disturb them and shift them. We thought we were going pretty well up until that five to ten minute mark in the last quarter where they dominated.”

On Lin Jong’s injury:

“He has had some bad luck with his hamstrings. He has some high-grade injuries usually through a mechanism injury where he has been tackled. Had pressure on a side.

“I think I haven’t seen the replay, it appears as though something similar happened. It is an emotional night for him and his teammates. When things like that happen in games, that connection to the boys relationship-wise, you are not sure how that is going to effect them. Again that just accentuates the outcome in the end how enormous it was. They can go out in sympathy a bit for their teammates. Think that we will lose him for a while.

On Josh Dunkley’s injury and opportunities for other players:

“Many boys who are knocking on the door for a taste of it. Whether it’s first-up or they have been right on the edge of the 22 or 23 and have dealt with some disappointment. Now there is an opportunity to bring some of those lads in and the players who will play next week who will come in for your ever our injured players quite They are very talented young lads. ... Patrick Lipinski - to see what he did last night at reserve grade level to say “You know what, OK, I will take that bit of bad news and go out and do this.” He set a fine example. He is one and there are others.

“I think that we will obviously lose Tim [English]. You would feel, definitely. And probably have his jaw X-rayed as well and fingers crossed he hasn’t got any bone damage there. We will lose him for at least a game and hopefully it is not too much more.”

“Yeah, yeah, obviously it was a pretty hard game - I feel so sorry for Jong he has put in so much work,” Macrae told Channel Seven.

“Pretty devastating to see him go down.“

But Macrae said they won’t lose their focus despite a 6-0 start.

“The maturity of the group - we are not looking too far forward or counting our chickens before they hatch,” Macrae said.

“It is great to see each week how we are building.”