WESTERN Bulldogs v Greater Western Sydney is no longer the heated rivalry the footy world once salivated over.

Instead, it's a game the Bulldogs have used to put the boot to the throat. And they did just that under the Marvel Stadium roof on Saturday afternoon, doing away with the Giants by 81 points in a fifth-straight victory - and nine from 10 - over the team in orange.

BULLDOGS v GIANTS Full match coverage and stats

Marcus Bontempelli conducted his Dogs with aplomb, leading the way to the 21.8 (134) to 7.11 (53) result that firmly cements them as one of the teams to beat in 2026.

The Giants have now lost their past two games against the Dogs by a combined 169 points, and conceded a total of 20 goals to star forward pair of Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy.

Bontempelli's spread from contest, delivery forward, and then attacking power himself made him the Dogs' north star on what was a very good day for the club. The captain finished with 33 disposals, six clearances, and three goals in a display that surely caught the umpires attention come Brownlow vote submission.

While stoppage didn't present the expected problem for GWS last week, it certainly reared its head against the Western Bulldogs' ferocious midfield contingent, who won the clearance count 45-26.

And Bontempelli's heroics were just one part of the headache for the visitors, as Matthew Kennedy's grunt work bore 27 disposals and eight clearances, and Tom Liberatore (29 disposals, six clearances) proved to be as tough as ever.

Forward stoppages were particularly potent, as the Giants were often drawn into the contest, while the Dogs maintained diligent layers to have a reliable release option close to goal.

Late in the piece All-Australian half back Lachie Ash (31 disposals, 704 metres gained) was thrown on the ball in an attempt to stem the flow, but it was too little, too late.

The ruck battle further compounded the Bulldogs' stoppage dominance. Tim English's deft tap-work gave his teammates first use as he athletically outworked the more physical style of Kieren Briggs and was simply too crafty for back-up option Jake Riccardi.

Giants captain Toby Greene (26 disposals, six clearances) tried to be everything for his side, but every error was targeted by those in the red, white and blue given the bubbling history between the sides. For recruit Clayton Oliver (26 disposals, four clearances), Saturday afternoon was somewhat of a comedown after last week's stunning club debut.

There was a sense of desperation about the Bulldogs' defence, forcing poor decision making and execution from the Giants, while effortlessly restructuring to rebuff the next attack. Buku Khamis' star continues to rise, with his capacity to read the play and make smart decisions resulting in nine marks and five intercepts for the game, as he and Rory Lobb (12 disposals, seven marks) worked beautifully in tandem.

They made life hard for the powerful Giants attack, limiting opportunities for the likes of Jesse Hogan, Jake Stringer and Max Gruzewski.

The Bulldogs' discipline to maintain length repeatedly caught the Giants out, both on turnover and from kick in. With a layered attacking structure and the deft field kicks of talls Darcy (16 disposals, four goals) and Naughton (15 disposals, six goals), the home side was able to link up neatly down the field with little disruption from the trailing Giants.

Given the quality of supply coming into the Dogs' forward line, there was little the Giants' key defenders could do as they competed one-on-one with Darcy and Naughton.

And in the end, the tsunami turned into a trickle as the Dogs surged to the top of the ladder, at least for now.

Crunch
Although the ferocity between these two sides in the past has been well-documented, it was an accidental contest that led to the worst physical damage for the match. Late in the third term, with the home side well in control, debutant Will Lewis was crunched between Giants Harry Himmelberg and Jayden Laverde while trying to contest yet another Dogs forward entry, with Aaron Naughton also in the collision. It took some time for the trio to be disentangled and brought from the ground, with Himmelberg bleeding from the chin and Lewis from the head following an accidental head clash, while Laverde struggled to gather his breath after a heavy knock to the back. The clubs later confirmed that all three players passed concussion tests.

Bontempelli brilliance
Somehow, Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli continues to get better. In a dominant team, he was the clear standout – particularly in the opening half. With 18 disposals, six inside 50s and three goals to the main break, he ultimately finished with 33 disposals, three goals and 665 metres gained in a performance that should earn the full complement of Brownlow votes. Importantly, it was his spread from the contest that asked questions of his direct Giants opponent – often Finn Callaghan – and prevented their ability to get attacking themselves. The Dogs skipper, again, was in a class of his own.

Hot water for Harvey?
Just days after young Richmond forward Jonty Faull was suspended for an unnecessary punch to the gut of Carlton's Jacob Weitering, another youngster may have a case to answer with the Match Review Officer. Late in the opening term as the Bulldogs were in a strong position, GWS forward-turned-winger Harvey Thomas swung an arm at Matthew Kennedy, connecting with his upper chest. Kennedy was handed a free kick for the hit, but given the League's keenness to stamp out such hits, Thomas may just find himself in the stands next week.

WESTERN BULLDOGS          5.1    11.1    16.6      21.8 (134)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY    2.3     4.5     6.8     7.11 (53)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 6, Darcy 4, Bontempelli 3, Baker 2, Davidson 2, Hynes, Liberatore, Kennedy, Bramble
Greater Western Sydney: Callaghan 2, Greene, Rowston, Riccardi, O'Halloran, Coniglio

BEST 
Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Khamis, Naughton, English, Kennedy, Jaques
Greater Western Sydney: Greene, Fonti, Ash, Himmelberg

INJURIES 
Western Bulldogs: Lewis (head)
Greater Western Sydney: Himmelberg (chin)
 
Crowd: 28,318 at Marvel Stadium