Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney says his team’s experienced players need to get their hands dirty if the AFL club is to arrest a worrying losing slump.

The Bulldogs’ 70-point defeat to West Coast on Sunday was their fifth straight loss of the season.

Stretching back to last year, the Bulldogs have now lost 16 of their past 17 games.

McCartney said it would take time for his young list to become a battle-hardened unit capable of standing up to the top sides.

But he said in the meantime, it was imperative for the club’s older heads to lead the way defensively.

“You have to be prepared to break momentum by getting your hands dirty,” McCartney said.

“Sometimes that means just running hard to fill space to cover, to slow the opposition down.

“We’ll get there, but we need our leaders to show the right way and we need our young people not to lose confidence and know that it’s the right way to play and the correct way to play.

“At times our more experienced players have got to drive standards and drive the team.

“They have to lead their younger teammates through it out on the field when things get messy.”

McCartney expects experienced trio Robert Murphy, Ryan Griffen and Daniel Giansiracusa to return for Saturday’s clash with North Melbourne, while Tom Williams is also a chance to feature.

Emerging midfielder Jake Stringer will be further assessed during the week after copping a heavy knock to the knee against West Coast.