TEN ROUNDS into the season, with a winter chill in the air for the first time all year, the contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pretenders.
Essendon wasn't considered by many to be a legitimate finals hope this year, but the popular wisdom about the Western Bulldogs varied much more wildly.
BULLDOGS v BOMBERS Full match coverage and stats
Based on the scintillating 91-point demolition of the Dons, 18.19 (127) to 5.6 (36), it's time to start taking the Dogs as a premiership threat.
Aside from a goalless opening 10 minutes, the Bombers were outplayed for the entire game, with stagnant and sideways ball movement unable to pierce the Dogs' full-ground defence.
Such were the ball-winning ways of the Western Bulldogs, half-back Bailey Dale had an equal-career high 39 touches just before three-quarter time, and broke the club record of 47 held by Jack Macrae and Ryan Griffen to finish with 49.
Bailey Williams had a chance to deliver the ball to Dale for number 50, but turned away and kicked forward, putting his hands to his head when he realised, while the crowd let out an audible sigh when the final siren went.
Marcus Bontempelli set the tone early, looking a class above whether it was pushing back for an intercept, delivering a laser pass inside 50, kicking the opening goal or setting up the second.
The Dogs' pressure then kicked into gear as the ball lived in their forward line for the quarter.
The defensive errors compounded for Essendon. Buku Khamis was left on the goal line by himself. Tim English – who doesn't have the fastest reaction time – had enough to fumble one metre out and creatively flick the ball backwards, for a completely free Tom Liberatore to pounce.
The margin was 42 at the first break. Essendon had just three points to its name. The Western Bulldogs kicked seven goals for the term, all in the space of 20 minutes. The game was done.
It was one of those matches where soaring confidence meant every one-handed mark was hauled in, every speculative snap curled truly, and every smother was well and truly landed.
By contrast, the Bomber fans had moved on from Bronx cheers to booing their own players by the second term, but the masses were appeased with a strong mark across the pack and snap goal from Xavier Duursma, the team's first major coming 17 minutes into the second quarter.
Nic Martin took a stunning mark back with the flight and was met heavily by Sam Davidson, with a 50m penalty paid, but the Dog appeared to be legitimately contesting the mark himself.
At one point in the third term, small forward Rhylee West had outscored Essendon, 3.1 to 2.4.
It was a dirty night for the Dons, with Martin, Archie Roberts and Mason Redman trying hard, while ruck Todd Goldstein performed well in the stoppages. Sam Durham provided a spark when the first-quarter tag on Ed Richards was released.
The only sour note for the Dogs was a hamstring injury to young small forward Arty Jones, who was subbed out in the second quarter.
Complete Dogs dominance
Sometimes the scoreline can be deceiving. This was not one of those games. Aside from Goldstein playing a lone hand in the ruck, the Western Bulldogs controlled every facet of the game. Luke Beveridge's men recorded an astonishing 61 inside 50s, 85 more disposals, eight more clearances and 12 more marks inside 50.
Double-goal trouble
While it had absolutely no bearing on the end result, it's safe to say the rare double-goal conceded by Essendon in the first term helped the Bulldogs gain momentum. Lachie McNeil had snapped truly for the Dogs' third goal, with Mason Redman dropping a cheeky elbow into Laitham Vandermeer's stomach. It was on the softer side of post-goal free kicks, but the penalty gifted the Dogs their fourth, and away they went.
Khamis' climb
Playing up forward, the versatile Dog soared high for a genuine Mark of the Year contender. With a perfect run and jump at the footy, he planted his knee cleanly on Ben McKay's shoulders, with no hands required. While his subsequent shot drifted, he's put his name in the running for the end-of-year-award, and kicked three for the game.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 7.3 10.8 15.13 18.19 (127)
ESSENDON 0.3 1.3 4.4 5.6 (36)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: West 4, Khamis 3, Richards 2, Bontempelli 2, McNeil, Vandermeer, Liberatore, Naughton, Davidson, Kennedy, Williams
Essendon: Duursma, Martin, Perkins, Durham, Wright
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Dale, Liberatore, West, Bontempelli, Richards, Khamis
Essendon: Durham, Goldstein, Redman, Roberts
INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Jones (hamstring)
Essendon: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Lachie Bramble (replaced Jones in the second term)
Essendon: Dylan Shiel (replaced El-Hawli at half-time)
Crowd: 47,266 at Marvel Stadium
