NARRM coach Steven King has critiqued his side’s fundamentals following their three-point loss to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday. 

“I think they played with a greater energy and intensity for longer,” King said.

“We had it in patches, but they started the game strongly especially around stoppage which gave them great territory.

“It was a clunky game for us, I thought our fundamentals were really poor and that puts you under pressure. It certainly throws you out a bit when you miss basic execution with hand and foot.

“It’s disappointing but we knew they’d respond and we just weren’t strong enough for long enough.

“As a coach you look back and reflect on the week, we planned well, we trained well, I just think that this game is so marginal, the gap between each team’s best and worst is so fine.”

The Sunday game came down to the wire, King wrapping his arms around Harvey Langford after the young gun dropped a chance to snatch victory in the dying minutes of the match. 

"I saw Harvey already and I thought he was pretty good today," King said.

"It wasn't that one (dropped) mark that cost us the game. We had chances to execute in front of goal.

"But more importantly as a coach you're looking at the transition piece the other way defensively, and things you could clean up that you've got control over, instead of relying on brilliance to win you the game." 

The Dees will be without Jake Lever in Round 12, the defender entering concussion protocols after a head knock in a marking contest, which sidelined him for the final 10 minutes against the Bulldogs.

“I think he’s entered [concussion] protocols…there was enough there to suggest that he'll enter concussion protocols and we'll look after him," King said.