1. A win to remember

A narrow loss the week prior, forced into week-long quarantine in the lead-up to the game, and facing a strengthened West Coast outfit on their home deck.

It’s fair to say a lot of people had drawn a line through the Bulldogs’ chances of securing a win on Sunday.

But with their backs against the wall, the Dogs came out and silenced the hosts in a 55-point thrashing  – which arguably could have been a greater margin if it weren’t for the slippery conditions early.

Now with two wins from two Perth trips this season, in addition to remaining undefeated on the road, the Bulldogs have consolidated second spot on the ladder with a league-high percentage of 148.6%.

2. Goals galore

It’s never easy calling out individual efforts in such a well-rounded game, but there are three players in particular that stood out on the scoreboard. 

At just 21-years-old – and subbed out of last week’s game with rib concerns – Aaron Naughton continues to grow, propelling himself into sixth spot in the Coleman Medal race with an impressive four-goal haul.

Captain Marcus Bontempelli was at his unsurprisingly best once again, kicking one of the goals – if not THE goal – of the year, to go with 29 touches, 10 clearances and seven tackles in a clinical display.

And then there was Bailey Smith; the young gun impacting with 31 disposals, six clearances, nine score involvements and two goals after spending more time inside.

3. By the numbers

We all know that the numbers don’t lie – so let’s take a deeper look at some of the team stats behind Sunday’s win.

Despite losing the hit-outs 25-45, the Bulldogs were still able to have an impact around the ball, winning the total clearances 44-29.

And again, despite recording significantly less marks than their opposition (86-127), the Dogs clunked 16 grabs inside 50 from 60 entries, compared to West Coast’s nine from 38 forward forays.

Holding the hosts to just 6.7 (43) while going on to kick 13.20 (98) from 20 more scoring opportunities, the Bulldogs’ backline also finished the round ranked number one across the competition, with 916 points conceded this season.