WESTERN Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade was more satisfied with his team's four-quarter effort than the enormous 95-point win it resulted in over Melbourne on Saturday afternoon.

Eade said it was pleasing to play intense football across the whole round two encounter at the MCG, and he was happy his players managed to step up after a somewhat patchy first term.

"After quartertime we decided to play a lot better. The first quarter was a bit scrappy at times; I suppose it was more wet in the first quarter than it was in any other part of the game," Eade said after the match.

“We knew Melbourne was initially going to be up and about, and our first five minutes or so, we were a bit down.

"The pleasing thing was while we were able to play some good football we were able to maintain that for the whole game."

He said the club spoke of the importance of getting together a quick start, given it was coming off the emotional high of last week's thrilling victory over Adelaide combined with Melbourne's determination to atone for a demoralising round one loss.

"Having been criticised in the media for the previous week, we knew they'd be up and about and obviously want to prove some people wrong," he said.

"We were very mindful of the start, and to come in at quarter time and to be even was pleasing – that was a plus."

Eade said it was particularly satisfying to see his new-look forward structure begin to pay dividends, with 11 individual goal-kickers sharing in 24 majors.

"I think it's been a strength of ours, even with the small forward line in 2006," he said.

"We can have different goal scorers. People say that we rely on [Brad] Johnson but we probably don't.

"He certainly can be a match winner, but you've got to have other players that can kick goals."

Eade expressed his sympathy for embattled Melbourne coach Dean Bailey, who has lost his first two premiership matches at the helm by an average of 99.5 points.

"No matter who you are, if you're the best player in the competition, if you're Chris Judd, or if you're the best coach of all time, Ron Barassi, I think as humans you're going to have some doubt at times," he said.

"Having two losses like that in your first two might shake your self-doubt. I know Dean's a very strong individual and I've got no doubt they've got talent in their team.

"The thing is, they're doing things differently at this stage and it takes time for players to gel for that.

"They've got a few out, so sometimes when teams lose three or four players, and they don't have to be key players, it upsets your balance a bit.

"I wouldn't be throwing the baby out with the bath water yet."

The Bulldogs now face the pre-season premiers in St Kilda next Friday night, and Eade is expecting the Saints to throw his side a whole new host of challenges.

"It will be tough for us, with two six-day breaks," he said.

"It will test our recuperative powers a bit. The guys are certainly tired today; it was a tough game from that aspect, in running.

"I think both teams were fatigued at the end. St Kilda has got a different skills set; they're going to test us up forward, so that will be one we need to look at obviously.

"With the form of the players at the moment, they can take a lot of confidence in."

Shaun Higgins is expected to miss "a couple of weeks" after rolling his ankle in the third term, while Eade said there is was a good chance late withdrawal Nathan Eagleton would be over his ankle complaint in time for Friday night's game.