The Western Bulldogs have solidified their spot inside the AFL's top eight with a high-stakes 41-point win over fellow finals contenders Essendon at Marvel Stadium.
Down by 11 points at the first break after a flat opening quarter when their midfield was smashed in clearances, the Bulldogs responded with a decisive 6.2 to 2.1 second term.
The Bulldogs withstood a gritty Bombers charge early in the final quarter when the margin was reduced to 14 points, before powering away with a 13.12 (90) to 7.7 (49) victory on Friday night.
The victory was the Bulldogs ninth from their last 10 games against Essendon.
The result lifts the Bulldogs (10-8) to fifth on the ladder, while Essendon could finish the round as low as 12th after coming into the clash placed eighth.
The Bulldogs' leaders inspired the charge following the slow start, with captain Marcus Bontempelli (29 possessions, two goals) and premiership hero Tom Liberatore (36 touches) sparking the dramatic turnaround in the midfield.
They trailed 12-4 in the clearances at quarter-time, but the Bulldogs ended the match ahead 48-26 with Liberatore finishing with 13 of them.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said the group stayed calm at quarter-time and did not dramatically change things.
"It wasn't much different than the start of the game," he said.
"Sometimes, it's just 10 centimetres here, 10 centimetres there and the bounce of the ball.
"We couldn't afford to drop this game so I love the way that our players took the responsibility, and in turn, we were probably internalising the pressure this week and made sure that we put ourselves on an edge."
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan slotted three goals to make it 10 from his last four games in an exciting period for the Bulldogs' former No.1 draft pick.
Prominent Bulldogs midfielder Bailey Smith made an impressive return after a week on the sidelines due to illness, picking up 25 disposals.
Smith was used in a dual midfield-forward role but his performance would be pleasing to the Bulldogs faithful after being at the centre of trade speculation in recent weeks.
It has been an encouraging season for Essendon under new coach Brad Scott but their record against top-eight teams this year is now 1-8.
"The structure didn't change (after quarter-time), just some good players (from the Bulldogs) got going," Scott said.
"That was probably the first time this year where I thought our young mids looked a bit tired and a bit flat."
In a further blow for the Bombers, key defender Jordan Ridley suffered a quad injury in the final quarter after a dominant 29-possession, 14-mark outing and will undergo scans.
Reigning Essendon best-and-fairest winner Peter Wright was an imposing threat up forward, booting three goals and hitting the post with a set-shot in the final quarter.
Essendon will return to Marvel Stadium next Saturday for a crucial clash with the Sydney Swans.
