Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney predicts wins will start coming for his AFL club quicker than outside observers or possibly even his own players expect.

McCartney says the Dogs, who have won just one of their past 19 games – against Brisbane in round one – and lost to Gold Coast on Saturday, are frustrated and disappointed.

But he says some injuries to key players and a relatively tough draw early in the season have played a part and the club is still heading the right way.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that the reason I can say we’re closer than maybe even our players realise at times is we’ve had to contend with that in the last eight or nine games last year and early this year,” McCartney told reporters on Wednesday.

“The challenge is when we do get presented with opportunities we take them.”

McCartney said the loss to the Suns largely turned on a five-minute burst to end the third quarter when Gold Coast piled on three quick goals to make it six in a row.

He said the Dogs should have been able to stem that run quicker, with their failure to do so partly a result of poor communication from him and his fellow coaches to the players.

“We’re disappointed with our results but we’re very clear about where we’re going,” McCartney said.

“Outside our club not everyone might see that and at the moment it’s quite clear very few people would probably agree with what I’m saying.

“But internally we believe we’re a lot closer to some better results than people realise.”

The Bulldogs on Saturday play St Kilda, who, in 15th spot, are just one place higher on the ladder with one more win, and who McCartney says are at a similar stage of development.

“They’ve probably got some frustrations similar to us at times where they have patches in games where they either don’t take their chances or the opposition get them on the scoreboard for five minutes,” he said.

“I think it will be a very, very competitive game.

“There’s good history between the two clubs in the last four or five years.

“To be honest both clubs are probably at an identical stage.”