The Cultural Heritage Series game saw Marvel Stadium come alive with vibrant bursts of colour, music and celebrations ringing throughout the venue as the Dogs charged home against the Tigers for their third win in a row.

On the field, the celebrations were just as loud.

For the first time since Round 8 this year, the Dogs registered a score of more than 100 points, with the 57-point victory their highest winning margin since Round 1, when they trounced the GIANTS by 81 points.

The victory, while scrappy, was driven largely by the Bulldogs’ small forward brigade.

The likes of Cody Weightman, Arty Jones, Rhylee West and Josh Dolan combined for six goals across the night, making up part of a list of 10 individual goal scorers for the team.

Speaking after the game, Weightman shared his relief at a ‘comfortable’ win and finding his feet in front of goal.

“It was scrappy, it was good though,” Weightman said.

“It’s the first time I’ve played in a win with a margin this year, so it was nice to have a bit of a lead at the end and enjoy running around instead of panicking in three-forward mode trying to save the game.

“The boys were sharing it around and the forward line was a good energy, so it was a bit of fun.”

Weightman, who made his well-documented return to the team against Hawthorn after 637 days on the sidelines, was able to kick his first multiple-goal haul while also recording seven score involvements.

“I’ve been a bit dry – nothing like a couple of cheapies, though,” the small forward said light-heartedly following the game.

“I think I owe Naughty and Westy some cold beers this week.

“It was nice to kick a couple, it makes it feel as though you’ve done something.

“I felt as though we had a lot of goal kickers tonight, which was great – hopefully everyone is confident.”

The 25-year-old shared a moment with teammate and housemate Arty Jones late in the game.

Almost as if by fate, a no-look handball from Weightman found Jones at the top of the square, who took care of business to slot the goal.

“We had that housemate connection, I knew he was there,” Weightman said.

“We gave it a good hug so, if they missed the photo, that’s on them – we gave them plenty of time.”

The two small forwards have shared the ups and downs of their football journeys over the years, with Weightman speaking fondly of the friendship he has developed with Jones.

“We’ve got a lot of emotion between us, we’ve got a really special bond,” he said.

“He’s seen my whole injury process, kind of rode it with me to be honest – him and Lachie Smith as a household.

“I’m the same with him. I’ve lived with him since he wasn’t in the team and have seen the frustrations of trying to get in and not being ready for quite a long time.

“Now he’s getting the rewards, it’s so cool.

“We’ve shared our journeys, which has been nice.

“That’s the special thing about football – the connection and the social element are probably my favourite parts.

“I think that’s what I realised I missed when I was out for so long. He’s a special teammate and he’s a special mate of mine.

“No doubt we’ll have a friendship long beyond football.”

With a short turnaround, the Dogs will now look for a season-defining win over the Dockers in enemy territory next Friday night.

Speaking on the game, Weightman said he believes the team can take up the fight against arguably the best side in the competition.

“I think there is a real belief in this group. We haven’t had some big wins this year, but we’ve been able to show there is a lot of ticker in the group,” he said.

“We’ve been able to win some tight ones and we know what we’ve got to fix.

“I think if we can get them done, you never know.

“This season can come alive really quickly from where we are on the ladder.

“It’ll be a big game for us and really exciting.”