Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade believes the AFL mid-season break robbed his players of their mental edge after they struggled to beat lowly North Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.

But North caretaker coach Darren Crocker was instead ruing the end of a break, as his honeymoon period since overtaking from Dean Laidley finished in disappointment, with a loss in his coaching debut.

It took the Bulldogs until well into the last quarter to sew up the game against the 13th-placed Kangaroos, although their 17.6 (108) to 12.14 (86) win took their record to 9-4 and kept them in outright third place.

After their June 13 thrashing of Port Adelaide in Darwin, the Doggies were rewarded with six of their next eight days off.

But Eade felt the players let their minds go on too long a holiday, as it showed on the training track and in Sunday's game, when their field kicking was astray.

"Maybe we gave them too big a break," he said.

"Mentally they get relaxed, I've got no doubt.

"I was asked 'Do we over train them?' In our case the answer is no.

"They trained twice in eight days the previous week, then we had three reasonable sessions (last) week and their skills were poor on Monday.

"You get some clubs that have five, six, seven days off, but no doubt it takes their focus away. No doubt mentally, they go into relax mode."

The Bulldogs began well enough with six first-quarter goals and a ruthlessness to pounce on North's regular mistakes in the backline.

But the Kangaroos gradually gained the ascendancy during the middle quarters and Leigh Harding's set shot gave them a buffer midway through the third term, until Josh Hill's high mark and goal regained the Dogs the lead by three-quarter time.

The mid-season break at least worked for Eade's side towards the end, as their running power - aided by the advantage of an extra player, courtesy of the absence of North's Ben Warren, who broke his fibula bone early in the game - was decisive in the last quarter.

Daniel Giansiracusa capped a good comeback from a rolled ankle early in the game to boot two goals in the last quarter - three for the game - and set up Hill for another, as the Bulldogs booted four goals to one in the final term.

Crocker was proud of his players' endeavour and preparedness to take the game on, but admitted the occasion was not to be.

"It's disappointing to lose the game, you want to have a win first-up, but unfortunately I just told my children that fairytales don't always come true."

North's stream of turnovers meant the fairytale win was always a longshot, even though captain Brent Harvey made a great return in his first game since round five, Liam Anthony collected 28 touches on debut and Harding and Drew Petrie kicked three goals apiece.

But Crocker was pleased with how things ran inside the coaches box, and how the club had rallied since Laidley quit on June 16.

"I really enjoyed it, being the main man," he said.

"I thought ... everybody played their role in the box and I thought since taking over as senior coach the players have responded really well."

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