They didn't get the win but captain Ben Maher said Gunnedah still took "some positives" away from Saturday's trial match against the Tamworth Swans.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was the first hit-out for the reigning premiers after restrictions on senior sport eased on July 1.
Both teams were missing players while also introducing new ones to the fold and Maher said his team found their rhythm late in the game.
"It was good to get a look at the Swans and give us an idea of what we've got to work on to get better as well," Maher said of the trial game in Gunnedah.
"We played a good fourth quarter and I think it just took a bit of time to gel. We had a few players out and I think we had about six players that hadn't played before.
"Really it was just trial and error to see where we were at as a team."
READ ALSO:
The Bulldogs won't have to wait long to get another crack at the Swans.
The two teams are set to clash in the opening round of the AFL North West competition at Wolseley Oval.
The AFL North West draws were released on Monday with a July 18 kick-off for both the men and the women.
The women's team will also clash with the Swans in the opening round.
Meanwhile, the under-14s and under-17s competitions will get underway the following weekend.
The Bulldogs will host the Tamworth Roosters in the under 14s.
At the pointy end of the season, there will be no finals series with the top two after the regular season to do battle for the silverware on September 26. The juniors will play a three-week finals series.