WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is considering a farewell game for Matthew Boyd and says he expects Dale Morris to play on next season.

Making September action for a third-straight season became unlikely after the Dogs fell 17 points short of Port Adelaide at Mars Stadium in Ballarat on Saturday afternoon.

Beveridge hinted at the likely inclusion of Boyd for his 292th and final game of his career against Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium next Friday night.

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Boyd, 34, hasn't played in the senior side since the round 16 clash with Adelaide.

It would also be the farewell of captain Robert Murphy, who would be lining up in his 312th match.

"If we can't make it, the whole complexion of the week changes for us, because we've got a couple of players who are going to finish up … so we'll assess that if we're in that position," Beveridge said.

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Morris, who will be 35 at the start of next season, will continue to fortify what has been a young and undersized defence.

"Dale Morris is likely to go on," Beveridge said.

The coach was downcast after failing to secure victory in the historic first-ever home and away match in Ballarat, conceding making finals was unlikely.

"It's in the lap of the gods. We need teams to lose to make it. Still got another game and we've just got to see how the results fall over the weekend," Beveridge said.

WATCH: Luke Beveridge's full post-match press conference

He acknowledged an inability to compete with the better teams this season.

Of teams in the top eight entering round 22, the Dogs had beaten only Sydney (round two) and Richmond (round seven).

"We haven't quite been able to win against the opposition up the top of the ladder and that's where we're at.

"We've scratched (our wins) out and we'll see what happens over the weekend," Beveridge said.

Meanwhile, Beveridge reaffirmed Tom Boyd was unlikely to play again this year, citing a lack of match conditioning as an issue.

The former Giant has been dealing with depression and returned via the VFL for Footscray on Saturday, booting three goals in his first game at any level since June.