Dashing defender Courtenay Dempsey conceded he felt the game slipping away from the Bombers against the Bulldogs on Sunday.

Essendon clawed their way to a third win in as many weeks and have now won six out of the last eight matches.

Dempsey admitted there was a stage where he thought that just maybe they couldn’t come back against the determined Dogs.

“I thought we weren’t going to get away with it,” he said.

“We knew we were coming up against it and had to pick up our game. It took a while, but finally we got there and come away with the win.”

“But we just went back to the basics of football in the last quarter and I supposed that’s how we won the game.”

An eight-goal haul from Jake Carlisle was enough to get the praise from Dempsey in a dominant display.

“Everyone doubted him in the first half of the season and Bomber consistently kept him there.”

“Now you see the rewards that he is getting. He is working really hard on it, its’ showing, and it’s beautiful.”

The 26-year-old notched up game 100 on the weekend after a club-imposed suspension earlier this season due to training habits.

Since his return in round six, the attacking defender has adopted a defence-first attitude as influenced through many one-on-one talks with head coach Mark Thompson.

Providing his usual run and carry off the half backline, and his added emphasis on defence has increased Dempsey’s value to the side.

Five games remain in the regular season for the Bombers, but there is no use looking too far ahead according to Dempsey

“It is a good run home for us, but we’re taking it week-by-week,” he said.

Essendon now enjoy the bye before they begin to prepare for the toughest task in football- playing Sydney on their home deck.

“We’ve got a tough game with Sydney after the break up in Sydney, but we’re just taking it week-by-week and that the only way we can do it,” said Dempsey.

“But I’ll be definitely be enjoying the week off.”