ON PAPER, you could have pencilled in a Western Bulldogs win weeks ago.

Luke Beveridge's side have had few issues beating up on the teams below them this season, and Sunday's easy 79-point triumph over Richmond never looked like it would be the exception.

But, while tougher tests will present themselves to the Dogs this season – their 1-6 record against top eight teams remains the biggest question mark hanging over them – their Marvel Stadium rout over the Tigers still went some way to validating their premiership credentials.

BULLDOGS v TIGERS Full match coverage and stats

Everything that makes the Dogs such a tempting premiership pick was on show in their 21.9 (135) to 8.8 (56) win. Marcus Bontempelli was an unstoppable force from the midfield, while Sam Darcy was an immovable object up forward. When they combined, the result was a foregone conclusion. Richmond stood no chance.

Bontempelli finished with 36 disposals and three goals to go with seven clearances, four goal assists, 11 inside-50s and 12 score involvements. Darcy was just as good, kicking five goals from 19 disposals and eight marks.

The bulk of their brunt work was completed in the second quarter, and was the catalyst behind an unanswered seven-goal run that helped blow the margin beyond Richmond's reach and lay the foundations for a comfortable second half.

Even by that stage, though, things had already started to look ominous for the Tigers. They conceded the first three goals of the match and, while they plugged some holes up until quarter-time, the dam wall was always threatening to burst. That eventuality happened in the second term, where the margin stretched to 56 points by the main break.

But it wasn't just the Bont and Sam show. Bailey Williams (25 disposals, 15 marks) and Bailey Dale (23 disposals, seven marks) were prolific across half-back, while first-year winger Sam Davidson (27 disposals, one goal) enjoyed perhaps the most impressive performance of his young career to date.

The only downsides came when the Bulldogs lost youngster Ryley Sanders before the match to illness, then Adam Treloar midway through the contest to yet another calf injury. Never fear, though, for Beveridge's side is one of few to have the midfield depth to cover two important absentees.

Instead, Ed Richards (27 disposals, one goal), Tom Liberatore (26 disposals, five marks) and Matt Kennedy (25 disposals, seven tackles) steered the ship alongside Bontempelli in another scary reminder of how much talent the Dogs have to play with.

A young Richmond battled throughout a difficult second half. Veteran forward Tom Lynch added two goals in the third term, before Richmond chipped in with five more in a fighting final quarter performance that kept the end margin from exploding even further that it had once threatened to.

By that stage, though, the four points had long been heading back to the Whitten Oval. But you probably could have predicted that weeks ago.

Another calf blow for troubled Treloar
It has been that type of season for Adam Treloar. Calf injury, after calf injury, after calf injury. The problem first presented itself in January, just months after Treloar earned his first ever All-Australian blazer, causing the Western Bulldogs midfielder to miss the first seven weeks of the season. He returned for one game, then missed another four weeks with a further calf setback. Having only returned again a fortnight ago, Treloar was then substituted out of Sunday's game late in the second term having injured his troublesome calf once more. The Western Bulldogs said afterwards that Treloar was dealing with 'calf tightness', with the extent of his most recent blow to be discovered when he undergoes scans early next week.

Solid as a rock for Lobb
Having struggled for form as a forward-ruck midway through last season, Rory Lobb was out of the Western Bulldogs' best team and seemingly on the hunt for a fourth side. However, now reinvented as a key defender, it's hard to see coach Luke Beveridge's backline without the big man there. Lobb was playing his 50th game in Bulldogs colours on Sunday and deserves an enormous amount of credit for the way in which he's revitalised his career in a new position. At Marvel Stadium, the 207cm giant once again showed his worth as an intercept option across half back. He finished with 21 disposals, 13 marks and nine intercepts and was particularly pivotal in helping keep Richmond goalless throughout an important second term.

A long day for young Tigers
Everyone knew there would be days like these for Richmond this season. It's to coach Adem Yze's credit that they perhaps haven't come around as often as many thought they would before a ball had been kicked this season. The side's 79-point defeat was its second worst of the season, with March's 82-point hammering by St Kilda still topping that list, but was the fifth of 10 goals or more through the season's first 15 weeks. The Tigers kicked just one goal to half-time and fought for nothing but pride throughout a long and difficult second half. The tough tests don't stop, though, with a high-scoring Adelaide the next opponent set to face Richmond next Sunday at the MCG.

WESTERN BULLDOGS     3.3    10.6    15.7     21.9 (135)
RICHMOND    1.3     1.4     3.8     8.8 (56)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Darcy 5, Bontempelli 3, McNeil 2, West 2, English 2, Hynes 2, Richards, Khamis, Bramble, Davidson, Naughton
Richmond: Lynch 3, McIntosh, Ross, Campbell, Green, Hopper

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Darcy, Liberatore, Richards, Kennedy, Williams, Lobb
Richmond: Vlastuin, Taranto, Lynch, Campbell, Hopper

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Treloar (calf)
Richmond: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Buku Khamis (replaced Treloar in the second quarter)
Richmond: Jasper Alger (replaced Sonsie in the third quarter)

LATE CHANGES
Western Bulldogs: Sanders (illness) replaced by Harmes
Richmond: Nil

Crowd: 38,280 at Marvel Stadium