Port Adelaide's big loss to Adelaide opened the door for Chris Fagan's side but a loss to Gold Coast meant the Lions were unable to jump them into second place.
The result took their 2023 record to 4-6 away from the Gabba, where they are 9-0 this season.
With four rounds to play they remain in third, narrowly ahead of Melbourne on percentage.
There is a two-win buffer between those sides and GWS and St Kilda in equal-fifth, with a double chance in finals the prize for sides who finish in the top four.
A top-two finish carries the added bonus of a home qualifying final, which could be the difference between hosting the Power at the Gabba or playing them at Adelaide Oval for a preliminary final berth.
But Western Bulldogs recruit Dunkley insists that isn't the focus of a side that's hunting their first grand final in what would be a fifth-straight finals campaign under Fagan.
"Everyone can talk about first, second, third fourth and however the ladder's going to play out," he said ahead of training on Tuesday.
"We all know every spot's up for grabs, so you just have to win and we weren't able to do that."
Brisbane lost both finals games at home in 2019 after finishing second and in 2021 snuck into fourth place only to be knocked out again in straight sets.
They were beaten in a preliminary final in 2020, but arguably their best finals run came last year when they reached that same stage again despite finishing sixth.
Dunkley, in the Bulldogs' side that beat the Lions by a point in the 2021 semi-final, has heard the doubters' claims but is adamant they don't need to begin their post-season at the Gabba to eventually lift the trophy at the MCG.
"Not at all; I see a few things pop up," he said.
"I save it in the back of my mind because, hopefully, at the back end of the year we can look back on it and prove them wrong."
Dunkley said the season-ending knee injury to Will Ashcroft was a tough break but was confident they can adapt even after the Suns exposed them by executing a hard tag on Lachie Neale.
"We'll look at that and hopefully help him out a little bit more," Dunkley said.
"Bont (Marcus Bontempelli) or Libba (Tom Liberatore) were tagged most weeks (when Dunkley was at the Bulldogs) and we worked through that.
"It's about working together and complementing each other.
"I know on the weekend it probably didn't look like that, but I know moving forward we'll get that input and output from guys to cover Ashy."
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