Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney has resigned from the struggling AFL club after a “traumatic” falling out with the team’s captain.

Bulldogs president Peter Gordon told media on Friday that McCartney made the “difficult” decision following tumultuous week for the club and an extensive independent review of its poor 2014 season.

“In the light of those outcomes, Macca (McCartney) has therefore made the decision to resign affective immediately,” Mr Gordon said.

McCartney’s position had been under scrutiny following the Bulldogs’ tepid finish to the season, although three days ago Gordon dismissed reports the coach went within a whisker of losing his job last month.

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Disgruntled captain Ryan Griffen’s shock trade request to Greater Western Sydney on Thursday has since put the club in a spin.

Later on Thursday the Bulldogs revealed in a statement that Griffen’s misgivings of McCartney were behind the two-time club champion’s desire to leave Whitten Oval.

“We are extremely disappointed at his approach and have no intention of indulging it,” Gordon said of Griffen in the statement.

“A contract is a contract,” he told Friday’s press conference.

“These are events which have traumatised our club over the past two weeks.”

McCartney, having lost the support of his most influential charge, has since been in high-ranking meetings and mulling whether he should stay on.

McCartney was appointed coach in 2011, when he pipped favourite son Leon Cameron who is now coaching GWS.

He is contracted until the end of the 2016 season.

After announcing McCartney’s resignation, Mr Gordan praised the outgoing coach as “a very good man” who would be “hurting” over the decision.

“We value very much the job that he has done and the work that he has put in,” he said.

“He’s been a great teacher in the game. He has a proven record of developing players.”

– with AAP