Western Bulldogs leaders Marcus Bontempelli and Tom Liberatore have tuned up for the season proper with starring roles in a comfortable 57-point win over Hawthorn in the AAMI Community Series.

After a second-quarter blip, the Bulldogs ran over the top of the undermanned Hawks, piling on 15 goals to three after half-time in the 17.17 (119) to 9.8 (62) victory at UTAS Stadium on Saturday.

Skipper Bontempelli (32 disposals, six clearances), deputy Liberatore (30, 13) and Adam Treloar (28, seven) were influential figures in the engine room as the Dogs controlled three of the four quarters.

Key forwards Aaron Naughton and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan were dangerous partners in attack with four goals each, and Rhylee West chipped in with three majors.

Bontempelli and Treloar kicked one each.

00:43

The Bont tears through stunned Hawks

Marcus Bontempelli runs through multiple Hawthorn defenders and easily kicks a running left-foot goal

No.6 draft pick Ryley Sanders (30 disposals, four clearances, 10 score involvements) raised his hand for a round one debut and 10-game backman Buku Khamis showed promising signs in defence.

Only poor goalkicking by the inaccurate Bulldogs prevented a greater margin.

Hawthorn's rising midfield star Jai Newcombe (37 disposals, seven clearances) was prominent and high-profile recruit Jack Ginnivan (two goals) worked hard.

Mitch Lewis and Connor Macdonald added two goals each, while Karl Amon (28 touches) and Jarman Impey (22) found plenty of the ball.

The dominant yet wayward Bulldogs held a narrow 2.6 to 2.1 lead at quarter-time, with Ugle-Hagan's wheel-and-go goal from outside 50m an early highlight as the inside 50 count ballooned to 17-9.

00:48

Former #1 draft pick nails a massive goal with ease

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan wheels around on the left foot and kicks a goal from outside 50

Coach Sam Mitchell gave his Hawks a rev-up and Ginnivan cashed in on their renewed vigour, snapping two nice goals to put them in front midway through the second term.

Hawthorn looked a different side to the one that started the game and built a 17-point advantage by the main break.

But the Bulldogs took back control in the middle – winning centre clearances 8-3 for the third quarter – as they turned the tables once again.

00:41

Lightning quick gather and snap from son of a gun

Rhylee West kicks a goal with incredible reflexes and accuracy after the ball spilled from the pack

The Dogs slammed on three goals in four minutes to snatch back the lead and kicked seven in a row, outscoring their opponents eight goals to two for the term.

The scoreboard got ugly in the last quarter as the Bulldogs kept their foot on the pedal.

Hawthorn has two weeks to prepare for its round one meeting with Essendon at the MCG on March 16, while the Bulldogs open their season against Melbourne at the same venue the following day.

HAWTHORN                          2.1      6.5        8.7          9.8 (62) 
WESTERN BULLDOGS          2.6     2.12     10.14       17.17 (119) 

GOALS
Hawthorn: Macdonald 2, Lewis 2, Ginnivan 2, Mackenzie, Breust, Chol
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 4, Ugle-Hagan 4, West 3, Williams, Weightman, Treloar, Lobb, Harmes, Bontempelli

BEST
Hawthorn: Newcombe, Amon, Ginnivan, Macdonald, Mackenzie, Hustwaite
Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Liberatore, Naughton, Treloar, Ugle-Hagan, Sanders

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Nil

Reports: Nil

06:11

AFL Match Highlights | AAMI Series v Hawthorn

The Bulldogs and Hawks clash in the AAMI Community Series.