WESTERN Bulldogs recruit Travis Cloke has given coach Luke Beveridge a selection dilemma after the reigning premiers kept their season alive and moved closer to their recognisable best on Sunday.  

The Bulldogs' 30-point win against Essendon at Etihad Stadium kept their flag defence alive win and Beveridge conceded it would be tough to drop anyone ahead of next Saturday's clash against the Brisbane Lions.

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Cloke, who came in to the 22 to replace suspended key forward Jack Redpath, could be given the chance to bed down his spot after providing a tall target, helping in the ruck and snapping a brilliant goal from the pocket.

"That goal epitomises what we're after from him," Beveridge said after the Bulldogs moved into the top eight momentarily for the first time since round 12.    

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"He gave a really good contest and he didn't mark it, but he brought it to ground. He recovered really quickly and kicked it on his right foot.

"We need help in the ruck and he gave that. He was really important for us.

"We might have a bit of a dilemma there. It'd be hard to omit anyone from that team today."

After taking a period of leave in June to deal with a mental health issue, Cloke has returned through the VFL in recent weeks and was selected in the senior team on Sunday for the first time since round 12.

He was part of a forward line against the Bulldogs that boasted 12 separate goalkickers, including four-goal star Jason Johannisen, who was moved out of his customary backline role with brilliant results.

The Norm Smith medallist, who has been targeted by opposition stoppers this season, booted three goals from 50m and beyond and put an exclamation mark on the result with his fourth in the final term.

"He had a really big game … we're finding out as a team how to capitalise on his play even when teams are trying to negate him," Beveridge said.

"We sent him to one of the wings where we knew he'd be a bit freer, then he did sneak forward.

"It's amazing what accurate long kicking can do. He was just brilliant with those set shots.

"He's had a couple of games where it's been hard for him because teams have brought that confrontational aspect to defending him, but he was brilliant today."

WATCH: Luke Beveridge's full post-match media conference

Beveridge was pleased with the Bulldogs' ability to adjust to Essendon's "fast and slick" brand of football, kicking their highest score for the season in a free-flowing game.   

"We're always searching for that type of footy, but maybe because the Bombers like to score heavily they gave us a bit more of a chance to do the same," the coach said.

"We definitely didn't go in saying, 'We'll beat you at your own game', we'll just try and play ours.

"Besides the defensive scoreline … it definitely was a very good, encouraging performance for us."